UNIT.  OP  CAUF.  URRARY.  f.OS 


She  stood  up  serene  but  heroic 


DULCIBEL 

A  Tale  of  Old  Salem 


BY 

HENRY  PETERSON 

Author  of 
"Pemberton,  or  One  Hundred  Years  Ago" 


Illustrations  by 

HOWARD  PYLE 


PHILADELPHIA 

The    John    C.    Winston    Co. 
1907 


COPYRIGHT  1907 

BY 
WALTER  PETERSON. 


Contents. 

Chapter.  Page. 

I     DULCIBEL  BURTON i 

II     IN  WHICH  SOME  NECESSARY  INFORMATION  is 

GIVEN 12 

III  THE  CIRCLE  IN  THE  MINISTER'S  HOUSE     ...   17 

IV  SATAN'S    ESPECIAL    GRUDGE    AGAINST    OUR 

PURITAN  FATHERS 22 

V     LEAH  HERRICK'S  POSITION  AND  FEELINGS    .  .   24 

VI     A  DISORDERLY  SCENE  IN  CHURCH 27 

VII     A  CONVERSATION  WITH  DULCIBEL 32 

VIII    AN  EXAMINATION  OF  REPUTED  WITCHES 47 

IX    ONE  HUNDRED  AND  FIFTY  MORE  ALLEGED 

WITCHES 54 

X     BRIDGET  BISHOP  CONDEMNED  TO  DIE 59 

XI     EXAMINATION  OF  REBECCA  NURSE 64 

XII     BURN  ME  OR  HANG  ME,  I  WILL  STAND  IN  THE 

TRUTH  OF  CHRIST 73 

XIII  DULCIBEL  IN  DANGER 80 

XIV  BAD  NEWS 91 

XV    THE  ARREST  OF  DULCIBEL  AND  ANTIPAS  ....   94 

XVI     DULCIBEL  IN  PRISON 102 

XVII     DULCIBEL  BEFORE  THE  MAGISTRATES 107 

XVIII    WELL,  WHAT  Now? 123 

XIX    ANTIPAS  WORKS  A  MIRACLE 128 

XX    MASTER  RAYMOND  GOES  TO  BOSTON 136 

•XXI     A  NIGHT  INTERVIEW 139 


Contents. 

Chapter.  Page. 

XXII  THE  REVEREND  MASTER  PARRIS  EXORCISES 

"  LITTLE  WITCH  " 149 

XXIII  MASTER  RAYMOND  ALSO   COMPLAINS    OF   AN 

"EviL   HAND" .162 

XXIV  MASTER  RAYMOND'S  LITTLE  PLAN  BLOCKED    166 

XXV  CAPTAIN  ALDEN  BEFORE  THE  MAGISTRATES      172 

XXVI  CONSIDERING  NEW  PLANS 180 

XXVII  THE  DISSIMULATION  OF  MASTER  RAYMOND  .  .188 

XXVIII  THE  CRUEL  DOINGS  OF  THE  SPECIAL  COURT  192 

XXIX  DULCIBEL'S  LIFE  IN  PRISON 199 

XXX  EIGHT  LEGAL  MURDERS  ON  WITCH  HILL      .  .205 

XXXI  A  NEW  PLAN  OF  ESCAPE 214 

XXXII  WHY  THE  PLAN  FAILED 221 

XXXIII  MISTRESS  ANN  PUTNAM'S  FAIR  WARNING.  . .  .230 

XXXIV  MASTER  RAYMOND  GOES  AGAIN  TO  BOSTON    .237 
XXXV  CAPTAIN  TOLLEY  AND  THE  STORM  KING    . . .  .244 

XXXVI     SIR  WILLIAM  PHIPS  AND  LADY  MARY 252 

XXXVII     THE  FIRST  RATTLE  OF  THE  RATTLESNAKE    .  .262 

XXXVIII     CONFLICTING  CURRENTS  IN  BOSTON 269 

XXXIX    THE  RATTLESNAKE  MAKES  A  SPRING 273 

XL    AN  INTERVIEW  WITH  LADY  MARY 280 

XLI     MASTER  RAYMOND  is  ARRESTED  FOR  WITCH 
CRAFT  287 

XLII     MASTER  RAYMOND  ASTONISHES  THE  MAGIS 
TRATES  293 

XLIII    WHY  THOMAS  PUTNAM  WENT  TO  IPSWICH   .  .303 
XLIV    How   MASTER    JOSEPH   CIRCUMVENTED  MIS 
TRESS  ANN 309 


Contents. 

Chapter.  Page. 

XLV    THE   Two   PLOTTERS   CONGRATULATE    EACH 

OTHER 330 

XLVI     MISTRESS  ANN'S  OPINION  OF  THE  MATTER... 336 

XLVII     MASTER  RAYMOND  VISITS  LADY  MARY   343 

XLVIII     CAPTAIN  TOLLEY'S  PROPOSITIONS 351 

XLIX    MASTER     RAYMOND      CONFOUNDS      MASTER 

COTTON  MATHER 355 

L     BRINGING  AFFAIRS  TO  A  CRISIS 366 

LI     LADY  MARY'S  COUP  D'ETAT 371 

LII     AN  UNWILLING  PARSON 385 

LIII    THE  WEDDING  TRIP  AND  WHERE  THEN  . . .  .394 
LIV    SOME  CONCLUDING  REMARKS 397 


Illustrations. 

Page. 

STOOD  UP  SERENE  BUT  HEROIC FRONTISPIECE. 

"THE   LORD   KNOWS   THAT  I   HAVEN'T   HURT  THEM".  68 
MARCHED  FROM  JAIL  FOR  THE  LAST  TIME 208 


CHAPTER  I. 
Dulcibel   Burton. 

In  the  afternoon  of  a  sunny  Autumn  day,  nearly 
two  hundred  years  ago,  a  young  man  was  walking 
along  one  of  the  newly  opened  roads  which  led 
into  Salem  village,  or  what  is  now  called  Danvers 
Centre,  in  the  then  Province  of  Massachusetts 
Bay. 

The  town  of  Salem,  that  which  is  now  the  widely 
known  city  of  that  name,  lay  between  four  and  five 
miles  to  the  southeast,  on  a  tongue  of  land 
formed  by  two  inlets  of  the  sea,  called  now  as  then 
North  and  South  Rivers.  Next  to  Plymouth  it 
is  the  oldest  town  in  New  England,  having  been 
first  settled  in  1626.  Not  till  three  years  after 
were  Boston  and  Charlestown  commenced  by  the 
arrival  of  eleven  ships  from  England.  It  is  a 
significant  fact,  as  showing  the  hardships  to  which 
the  early  settlers  were  exposed,  that  of  the  fifteen 
hundred  persons  composing  this  Boston  expedi 
tion,  two  hundred  died  during  the  first  winter. 
Salem  has  also  the  honor  of  establishing  the  first 
New  England  church  organization,  in  1629,  with 
the  Reverend  Francis  Higginson  as  its  pastor. 


2  Dulcibel. 

Salem  village  was  an  adjunct  of  Salem,  the 
town  taking  in  the  adjacent  lands  for  the  purpose 
of  tillage  to  a  distance  of  six  miles  from  the  meet 
ing-house.  But  in  the  progress  of  settlement, 
Salem  village  also  became  entitled  to  a  church 
of  its  own;  and  it  had  one  regularly  established 
at  the  date  of  our  story,  with  the  Reverend 
Samuel  Parris  as  presiding  elder  or  minister. 

There  had  been  many  bickerings  and  disputes 
before  a  minister  could  be  found  acceptable  to  all 
in  Salem  village.  And  the  present  minister  was 
by  no  means  a  universal  favorite.  The  principal 
point  of  contention  on  his  part  was  the  parsonage 
and  its  adjacent  two  acres  of  ground.  Master 
Parris  claimed  that  the  church  had  voted  him  a 
free  gift  of  these;  while  his  opponents  not  only 
denied  that  it  had  been  done,  but  that  it  lawfully 
could  be  done.  This  latter  view  was  undoubtedly 
correct;  for  the  parsonage  land  was  a  gift  to  the 
church,  for  the  perpetual  use  of  its  pastor,  whoso 
ever  he  might  be.  But  Master  Parris  would  not 
listen  to  reason  on  this  subject,  and  was  not 
inclined  to  look  kindly  upon  the  men  who  stead 
fastly  opposed  him. 

The  inhabitants  of  Salem  village  were  a  goodly 
as  well  as  godly  people,  but  owing  to  these  church 


Dulcibel  Burton. 


differences  about  their  ministers,  as  well  as  other 
disputes  and  lawsuits  relative  to  the  bounds  of 
their  respective  properties,  there  was  no  little 
amount  of  ill  feeling  among  them.  Small  causes 
in  a  village  are  just  as  effective  as  larger  ones  in  a 
nation,  in  producing  discord  and  strife;  and  the 
Puritans  as  a  people  were  distinguished  by  all 
that  determination  to  insist  upon  their  rights,  and 
that  scorn  of  compromising  difficulties,  which  men 
of  earnest  and  honest  but  narrow  natures  have 
manifested  in  all  ages  of  the  world.  Selfishness 
and  uncharitableness  are  never  so  dangerous  as 
when  they  assume  the  character  of  a  conscientious 
devotion  to  the  just  and  the  true. 

But  all  this  time  the  young  man  has  been  walk 
ing  almost  due  north  from  the  meeting  house  in 
Salem  village. 

The  road  was  not  what  would  be  called  a  good 
one  in  these  days,  for  it  was  not  much  more  than 
a  bridle-path;  the  riding  being  generally  at  that 
time  on  horseback.  But  it  was  not  the  rather 
broken  and  uneven  condition  of  the  path  which 
caused  the  frown  on  the  young  pedestrian's  face, 
or  the  irritability  shown  by  the  sharp  slashes  of  the 
maple  switch  in  his  hand  upon  the  aspiring  weeds 
along  the  roadside. 


4  Dulcibel. 

"If  ever  mortal  man  was  so  bothered,"  he 
muttered  at  last,  coming  to  a  stop.  "Of  course 
she  is  the  best  match,  the  other  is  below  me,  and 
has  a  spice  of  Satan  in  her;  but  then  she  makes  the 
blood  stir  in  a  man.  Ha!" 

This  exclamation  carne  as  he  lifted  his  eyes 
from  the  ground,  and  gazed  up  the  road  before 
him.  There,  about  half  a  mile  distant,  was  a 
young  woman  riding  toward  him.  Then  she 
stopped  her  horse  under  a  tree,  and  evidently  was 
trying  to  break  off  a  switch,  while  her  horse 
pranced  around  in  a  most  excited  fashion.  The 
horse  at  last  starts  in  a  rapid  gallop.  The  young 
man  sees  that  in  trying  to  get  the  switch,  she  has 
allowed  the  bridle  to  get  loose  and  over  the  horse's 
head,  and  can  no  longer  control  the  fiery  animal. 
Down  the  road  towards  him  she  comes  in  a  sharp 
gallop,  striving  to  stop  the  animal  with  her  voice, 
evidently  not  the  least  frightened,  but  holding  on 
to  the  pommel  of  the  saddle  with  one  hand  while 
she  makes  desperate  grasps  at  the  hanging  rein 
with  the  other. 

The  young  Puritan  smiled,  he  took  in  the  situ 
ation  with  a  glance,  and  felt  no  fear  for  her  but 
rather  amusement.  He  was  on  the  top  of  a 
steep  hill,  and  he  knew  he  could  easily  stop  the 


Dulcibel  Burton.  5 

horse  as  it  came  up;  even  if  she  did  not  succeed 
in  regaining  her  bridle,  owing  to  the  better  chances 
the  hill  gave  her. 

"She  is  plucky,  anyhow,  if  she  is  rather  a  tame 
wench,"  said  he,  as  the  girl  grasped  the  bridle  rein 
at  last,  when  about  half  way  up  the  hill,  and 
became  again  mistress  of  the  blooded  creature 
beneath  her. 

"Is  that  the  way  you  generally  ride,  Dulcibel  ?" 
a-sked  the  young  man  smiling. 

"It  all  comes  from  starting  without  my  riding 
whip,"  replied  the  girl.  "Oh,  do  stop!"  she 
continued  to  the  horse  who  now  on  the  level  again, 
began  sidling  and  curveting. 

"Give  me  that  switch  of  yours,  Jethro.  Now, 
you  shall  see  a  miracle." 

No  sooner  was  the  switch  in  her  hand,  than  the 
aspect  and  behavior  of  the  animal  changed  as  if 
by  magic.  You  might  have  thought  the  little 
mare  had  been  raised  in  the  inclosure  ot  a 
Quaker  meeting-house,  so  sober  and  docile  did 
she  seem. 

"It  is  always  so,"  said  the  girl  laughing.  "The 
little  witch  knows  at  once  whether  I  have  a  whip 
with  me  or  not,  and  acts  accordingly.  No,  I  will 
not  forgive  you,"  and  she  gave  the  horse  two  or 


6  Dulcibel. 

three  sharp  cuts,  which  it  took  like  a  martyr. 
"Oh,  I  wish  you  would  misbehave  a  little  now; 
I  should  like  to  punish  you  severely." 

They  made  a  very  pretty  picture,  the  little  jet- 
black  mare,  and  the  mistress  with  her  scarlet 
paragon  bodice,  even  if  the  latter  was  entirely 
too  pronounced  for  the  taste  of  the  great  majority 
of  the  inhabitants,  young  and  old,  of  Salem  village. 

"But  how  do  you  happen  to  be  here  ?"  said  the 
girl. 

"I  called  to  see  you,  and  found  you  had  gone 
on  a  visit  to  Joseph  Putnam's.  So  I  thought 
I  would  walk  up  the  road  and  meet  you  coming 
back." 

"What  a  sweet  creature  Mistress  Putnam  is, 
and  both  so  young  for  man  and  wife." 

"Yes,  Jo  married  early,  but  he  is  big  enough 
and  strong  enough,  don't  you  think  so  ?" 

"He  is  a  worshiped  man  indeed.  Have  you 
met  the  stranger  yet?" 

"That  Ellis  Raymond?  No,  but  I  hear  he  is 
something  of  a  popinjay  in  his  attire,  and  swelled 
up  with  the  conceit  that  he  is  better  than  any  of  us 
colonists." 

"I  do  not  think  so,"  and  the  girl's  cheek  col 
ored  a  deeper  red.  "He  seems  to  be  a  very 


Dulcibel  Burton. 


7 


modest   young    man    indeed.     I    liked    him    very 
much." 

"Oh,  well,  I  have  not  seen  him  yet.  But  they 
say  his  father  was  a  son  of  Belial,  and  fought  under 
the  tyrant  at  Naseby." 

"But  that  is  all  over  and  his  widowed  mother 
is  one  of  us." 

"Hang  him,  what  does  it  matter!"  Then, 
changing  his  tone,  and  looking  at  her  a  little  sus 
piciously.  "Did  Leah  Herrick  say  anything  to 
you  against  me  the  other  night  at  the  husking?" 

"I  do  not  allow  people  to  talk  to  me  against  my 
friends,"  replied  she  earnestly. 

"She  was  talking  to  you  a  long  time  I  saw." 

"Yes." 

"It  must  have  been    an    interesting  subject." 

"It   was    rather    an    unpleasant    one    to    me." 

"Ah!" 

"She  wanted  me  to  join  the  'circle'  which  they 
have  just  started  at  the  minister's  house.  She 
says  that  old  Tituba  has  promised  to  show  them 
how  the  Indians  of  Barbadoes  conjure  and  pow 
wow,  and  that  it  will  be  great  sport  for  the  winter 
nights." 

"What  did  you  say  to  it  ?" 

"I  told  her  I  would  have  nothing  to  do  with 


8  Dulcibel. 

such  things;  that  I  had  no  liking  for  them,  and 
that  I  thought  it  was  wrong  to  tamper  with  such 
matters." 

"That  was  all  she  said  to  you  ?"  and  the  young 
man  seemed  to  breathe  more  freely. 

The  girl  was  sharp-witted — what  girl  is  not  so 
in  all  affairs  of  the  heart  ? — and  it  was  now  her 
turn.  "Leah  is  very  handsome,"  she  said. 

"Yes — everybody  says  so,"  he  replied  coolly, 
as  if  it  were  a  fact  of  very  little  importance  to  him, 
and  a  matter  which  he  had  thought  very  little 
about. 

Dulcibel,  was  not  one  to  aim  all  around  the 
remark;  she  came  at  once,  simply  and  directly 
to  the  point. 

"Did  you  ever  pay  her  any  attentions  ?" 

"Oh,  no,  not  to  speak  of.  What  made  you 
think  of  such  an  absurd  thing?" 

"Not  to  speak  of — what  do  you  mean  ?" 

"Oh,  I  kept  company  with  her  for  awhile— 
before  you  came  to  Salem — when  we  were  merely 
boy  and  girl." 

'There  never  was  any  troth  plighted  between 
you?" 

"How  foolish  you  are,  Dulcibel!  What  has 
started  you  off  on  this  track?" 


Dulcibel  Burton. 


"Yourself.  Answer  me  plainly.  Was  there 
ever  any  love  compact  between  you  ?" 

"Oh,  pshaw!  what  nonsense  all  this  is!" 

"If  you  do  not  answer  me,  I  shall  ask  her  this 
very  evening. " 

"Of  course  there  was  nothing  between  us  — 
nothing  of  any  account — only  a  boy  and  girl 
affair — calling  her  my  little  wife,  and  that  kind 
of  nonsense." 

"I  think  that  a  great  deal.  Did  that  continue 
up  to  the  time  I  came  to  the  village  ?" 

"How  seriously  you  take  it  all!  Remember, 
I  have  your  promise,  Dulcibel." 

"A  promise  on  a  promise  is  no  promise — every 
girl  knows  that.  If  you  do  not  answer  me  fully 
and  truly,  Jethro,  I  shall  ask  Leah." 

"Yes,"  said  the  young  man  desperately  "there 
was  a  kind  of  childish  troth  up  to  that  time,  but 
it  was,  as  I  said,  a  mere  boy  and  girl  affair." 

"Boy  and  girl!  You  were  eighteen,  Jethro; 
and  she  sixteen  nearly  as  old  as  Joseph  Putnam 
and  his  wife  were  when  they  married." 

"I  do  not  care.  I  will  not  be  bound  by  it;  and 
Leah  knows  it. " 

''You  acted  unfairly  toward  me,  Jethro.     Leah 


io  Dulcibel. 

has  the  prior  right.  I  recall  my  troth.  I  will 
not  marry  you  without  her  consent." 

"You  will  not!"  said  the  young  man  passion 
ately — for  well  he  knew  that  Leah's  consent  would 
never  be  given. 

"No,  I  will  not!" 

"Then  take  your  troth  back  in  welcome.  In 
truth,  I  met  you  here  this  day  to  tell  you  that.  I 
love  Leah  Herrick's  little  finger  better  than  your 
whole  body  with  your  Jezebel's  bodice,  and  your 
fine  lady's  airs.  You  had  better  go  now  and  marry 
that  conceited  popinjay  up  at  Jo  Putnam's,  if 
you  can  get  him." 

With  that  he  pushed  off  down  the  hill,  and  up 
the  road,  that  he  might  not  be  forced  to  accom 
pany  her  back  to  the  village. 

Dulcibel  was  not  prepared  for  such  a  burst  of 
wrath,  and  such  an  uncovering  of  the  heart. 
Which  of  us  has  not  been  struck  with  wrtnder, 
even  far  more  than  indignation,  at  such  times  ? 
A  sudden  difference  occurs,  and  the  man  or  the 
woman  in  whom  you  have  had  faith,  and  whom 
you  have  believed  noble  and  admirable,  suddenly 
appears  what  he  or  she  really  is,  a  very  common 
and  vulgar  nature.  It  makes  us  sick  at  heart  that 
we  could  have  been  so  deceived. 


Dulcibel  Burton.  n 


Such  was  the  effect  upon  Dulcibel.  What  a 
chasm  she  had  escaped.  To  think  she  had  really 
agreed  to  marry  such  a  spirit  as  that!  But  for 
tunately  it  was  now  all  over. 

She  not  only  had  lost  a  lover,  but  a  friend.  And 
one  day  before,  this  also  would  have  had  its 
unpleasant  side  to  her.  But  now  she  felt  even  a 
sensation  of  relief.  Was  it  because  this  very  day 
a  new  vision  had  entered  into  the  charmed  circle 
of  her  life  ?  If  it  were  so,  she  did  not  acknowl 
edge  the  fact  to  herself;  or  even  wonder  in  her 
own  mind,  why  the  sudden  breaking  of  her  troth- 
plight  had  not  left  her  in  a  sadder  humor.  For 
she  put  "Little  Witch"  into  a  brisk  canter,  and 
with  a  smile  upon  her  face  rode  into  the  main 
street  of  the  village. 


CHAPTER  II. 

In   Which  Some  Necessary   Information  is 
Given. 

Dulcibel  Burton  was  an  orphan.  Her  father 
becoming  a  little  unsound  in  doctrine,  and  being 
greatly  pleased  with  the  larger  liberty  of  con 
science  offered  by  William  Penn  to  his  colonists 
in  Pennsylvania,  had  leased  his  house  and  lands 
to  a  farmer  by  the  name  of  Buckley,  and  departed 
for  Philadelphia.  This  was  some  ten  years  pre 
vious  to  the  opening  of  our  story.  After  living 
happily  in  Philadelphia  for  about  eight  years  he 
died  suddenly,  and  his  wife  decided  to  return  to 
her  old  home  in  Salem  village,  having  arranged 
to  board  with  Goodman  Buckley,  whose  lease 
had  not  yet  expired.  But  in  the  course  of  the 
following  winter  she  also  died,  leaving  this  only 
child,  Dulcibel,  now  a  beautiful  girl  of  eighteen 
years.  Dulcibel,  as  was  natural,  wyent  on  living 
with  the  Buckleys,  who  had  no  children  of  their 
own,  and  were  very  good-hearted  and  affectionate 
people. 

Dulcibel  therefore  was  an  heiress,  in  a  not  very 
large  way,  besides  having  wealthy  relatives  in 


Necessary  Information.          13 

England,  from  some  of  whom  in  the  course  of 
years  more  or  less  might  reasonably  be  expected. 
And  as  our  Puritan  ancestors  were  by  no  means 
blind  to  their  worldly  interests,  believing  that 
godliness  had  the  promise  of  this  world  as  well 
as  that  which  is  to  come — the  bereaved  maiden 
became  quite  an  object  of  interest  to  the  young 
men  of  the  vicinity. 

I  have  called  her  beautiful,  and  not  without 
good  reason.  With  the  old  manuscript  volume — 
a  family  heirloom  of  some  Quaker  friends  of 
mine — from  which  I  have  drawn  the  facts  of  this 
narrative,  came  also  an  old  miniature,  the  work 
of  a  well-knowTn  English  artist  of  that  period. 
The  colors  have  faded  considerably,  but  the  gen 
eral  contour  and  the  features  are  well  preserved. 
The  face  is  oval,  with  a  rather  higher  and  fuller 
forehead  than  usual;  the  hair,  which  was  evidently 
of  a  rather  light  brown,  being  parted  in  the  center, 
and  brought  down  with  a  little  variation  from  the 
strict  Madonna  fashion.  The  eyes  are  large, 
and  blue.  The  lips  rather  full.  A  snood  or 
fillet  of  blue  ribbon  confined  her  luxuriant  hair. 
In  form  she  was  rather  above  the  usual  height  of 
women,  and  slender  as  became  her  age;  though 
with  a  perceptible  tendency  towards  greater  full 
ness  with  increasing  years. 


14  Dulcibel. 

There  is  rather  curiously  a  great  resemblance 
between  this  miniature,  and  a  picture  I  have  in 
my  possession  of  the  first  wife  of  a  celebrated 
New  England  poet.  He  himself  being  named 
for  one  of  the  Judges  who  sat  in  the  Special  Court 
appointed  for  the  trial  of  the  alleged  witches,  it 
would  be  curious  if  the  beautiful  and  angelic  wife 
of  his  youth  were  allied  by  blood  to  one  of  those 
who  had  the  misfortune  to  come  under  the  ban  of 
witchcraft. 

Being  both  beautiful  and  an  heiress,  Dulcibel 
naturally  attracted  the  attention  of  her  near 
neighbor  in  the  village,  Jethro  Sands.  Jethro 
was  quite  a  handsome  young  man  after  a  certain 
style,  though,  as  his  life  proved,  narrow  minded, 
vindictive  and  avaricious.  Still  he  had  a  high 
reputation  as  a  young  man  with  the  elders  of  the 
village;  for  he  had  early  seen  how  advantageous 
it  was  to  have  a  good  standing  in  the  church,  and 
was  very  orthodox  in  his  faith,  and  very  regular 
in  his  attendance  at  all  the  church  services. 
Besides,  he  was  a  staunch  champion  of  the  Rev 
erend  Mr.  Parris  in  all  his  difficulties  with  the 
parish,  and  in  return  was  invariably  spoken  of 
by  the  minister  as  one  of  the  most  promising 
young  men  in  that  neighborhood. 


Necessary  Information.          15 

Jethro  resided  with  his  aunt,  the  widow  Sands. 
She  inherited  from  her  husband  the  whole  of  his 
property.  His  deed  for  the  land  narrated  that 
the  boundary  line  ran  "from  an  old  dry  stump, 
due  south,  to  the  southwest  corner  of  his  hog-pen, 
then  east  by  southerly  to  the  top  of  the  hill  near 
a  little  pond,  then  north  by  west  to  the  highway 
side,  and  thence  along  the  highway  to  the  old 
dry  stump  again  aforesaid."  There  is  a  tradi 
tion  in  the  village  that  by  an  adroit  removal  of 
his  hog-pen  to  another  location,  and  the  uproot 
ing  and  transplanting  of  the  old  dry  stump,  at  a 
time  when  nobody  seemed  to  take  a  very  active 
interest  in  the  adjoining  land,  owing  to  its  title 
being  disputed  in  successive  lawsuits,  Jethro, 
who  inherited  at  the  death  of  his  aunt,  became 
the  possessor  of  a  large  tract  of  land  that  did  not 
originally  belong  to  him.  But  then  such  stories 
are  apt  to  crop  up  after  the  death  of  every  man 
who  has  acquired  the  reputation  of  being  crafty 
and  close  in  his  dealings. 

We  left  Jethro,  after  his  interview  with  Dulcibel, 
walking  on  in  order  that  he  might  avoid  her 
further  company.  After  going  a  short  distance 
he  turned  and  saw  that  she  was  riding  rapidly 
homeward.  Then  he  began  to  retrace  his  steps. 


16  Dulcibel. 

"It  was  bound  to  come,"  he  muttered.  "I 
have  seen  she  was  getting  cold  and  thought  it  was 
Leah's  work,  but  it  seems  she  was  true  to  her 
promise  after  all.  Well,  Leah  is  poor,  and  not 
of  so  good  a  family,  but  she  is  worth  a  dozen  of 
such  as  Dulcibel  Burton." 

Then  after  some  minutes'  silent  striding,  "I  hate 
her  though  for  it,  all  the  same.  Everybody  will 
know  she  has  thrown  me  off.  But  nobody  shall 
get  ahead  of  Jethro  Sands  in  the  long  run.  I'll 
make  her  sorry  for  it  before  she  dies,  the  spoiled 
brat  of  a  Quaker  infidel!" 


CHAPTER  III. 
The  Circle  in  the  Minister's  House. 

It  would,  perhaps  be  unfair  to  hold  the  Rev 
erend  Master  Parris  responsible  for  the  wild  doings 
that  went  on  in  the  parsonage  house  during  the 
winter  evenings  of  1691-2,  in  the  face  of  his 
solemn  assertion,  made  several  years  afterwards, 
that  he  was  ignorant  of  them.  And  yet,  how 
could  such  things  have  been  without  the  knowl 
edge  either  of  himself  or  his  wife  ?  Mistress 
Parris  has  come  down  to  us  with  the  reputation 
of  a  kindly  and  discreet  woman — nothing  having 
been  said  to  her  discredit,  so  far  as  I  am  aware, 
even  by  those  who  had  a  bitter  controversy  with 
her  husband.  And  yet  she  certainly  must  have 
known  of  the  doings  of  the  famous  "circle," 
even  if  she  refrained  from  speaking  of  them  to 
her  husband. 

At  the  very  bottom  of  the  whole  thing,  perhaps, 
were  the  West  Indian  slaves — "John  Indias" 
and  his  wife  Tituba,  whom  Master  Parris  had 
brought  with  him  from  Barbadoes.  There  were 
two  children  in  the  house,  a  little  daughter  of 

nine,    named    Elizabeth;    and    Abigail    Williams, 

2  17 


i8  Dulcibel. 

three  years  older.  These  very  probably,  Tituba 
often  had  sought  to  impress,  as  is  the  manner  of 
negro  servants,  with  tales  of  witchcraft,  the  "evil- 
eye"  and  "evil  hand"  spirits,  powwowing,  etc. 
Ann  Putnam,  another  precocious  child  of  twelve, 
the  daughter  of  a  near  neighbor,  Sergeant  Putnam, 
the  parish  clerk,  also  was  soon  drawn  into  the 
knowledge  of  the  savage  mysteries.  And,  before 
very  long,  a  regular  "circle"  of  these  and  older 
girls  was  formed  for  the  purpose  of  amusing 
and  startling  themselves  with  the  investigation 
and  performance  of  forbidden  things. 

At  the  present  day  this  would  not  be  so  repre 
hensible.  We  are  comparatively  an  unbelieving 
generation;  and  what  are  called  "spiritual  circles" 
are  common,  though  not  always  unattended  with 
mischievous  results.  But  at  that  time  when  it 
was  considered  a  deadly  sin  to  seek  intercourse 
with  those  who  claimed  to  have  "a  familiar  spirit," 
that  such  practices  should  be  allowed  to  go  on 
for  a  whole  winter,  in  the  house  of  a  Puritan 
minister,  seems  unaccountable.  But  the  fact 
itself  is  undoubted,  and  the  consequences  are 
written  in  mingled  tears  and  blood  upon  the 
saddest  pages  of  the  history  of  New  England. 

Among  the  members  of  this  "circle"  were  Mary 


Circle  in  the  Minister's  House.      19 

Walcott,  aged  seventeen,  the  daughter  of  Captain 
Walcott;  Elizabeth  Hubbard  and  Mercy  Lewis, 
also  seventeen;  Elizabeth  Booth  and  Susannah 
Sheldon,  aged  eighteen;  and  Mary  Warren,  Sarah 
Churchhill  and  Leah  Herrick,  aged  twenty; 
these  latter  being  the  oldest  of  the  party.  They 
were  all  the  daughters  of  respectable  and  even 
leading  men,  with  the  exception  of  Mercy  Lewis, 
Mary  Warren,  Leah  Herrick  and  Sarah  Church- 
hill,  who  were  living  out  as  domestics,  but  who 
seem  to  have  visited  as  friends  and  equals  the 
other  girls  in  the  village.  In  fact,  it  was  not 
considered  at  that  time  degrading  in  country 
neighborhoods — perhaps  it  is  not  so  now  in  many 
places— for  the  sons  and  daughters  of  men  of 
respectability,  and  even  of  property,  to  occupy 
the  position  of  "help"  or  servant,  eating  at  the 
same  table  with,  and  being  considered  members 
of  the  family.  In  the  case  before  us,  Mercy 
Lewis,  Mary  Warren  and  Sarah  Churchhill  seem 
to  have  been  among  the  most  active  and  influential 
members  of  the  party.  Though  Abigail  Williams, 
the  minister's  niece,  and  Ann  Putnam,  only 
eleven  and  twelve  years  of  age  respectively, 
proved  themselves  capable  of  an  immense  deal 
of  mischief. 


20  Dulcibel. 

What  the  proceedings  of  these  young  women 
actually  were,  neither  tradition  nor  any  records 
that  I  have  met  with,  informs  us;  but  the  result 
was  even  worse  than  could  have  been  expected. 
By  the  close  of  the  winter  they  had  managed  to 
get  their  nervous  systems,  their  imaginations, 
and  their  minds  and  hearts,  into  a  most  dreadful 
condition.  If  they  had  regularly  sold  themselves 
to  be  the  servants  of  the  Evil  One,  as  was  then 
universally  believed  to  be  possible — and  which 
may  really  be  possible,  for  anything  I  know  to 
the  contrary — their  condition  could  hardly  have 
been  worse  than  it  was.  They  were  liable  to 
sudden  faintings  of  an  unnatural  character,  to 
spasmodic  movements  and  jerkings  of  the  head 
and  limbs,  to  trances,  to  the  seeing  of  witches 
and  devils,  to  deafness,  to  dumbness,  to  alarming 
outcries,  to  impudent  and  lying  speeches  and 
statements,  and  to  almost  everything  else  that 
was  false,  irregular  and  unnatural. 

Some  of  these  things  were  doubtless  involuntary 
but  the  voluntary  and  involuntary  seemed  to  be 
so  mingled  in  their  behavior,  that  it  was  difficult 
sometimes  to  determine  which  was  one  and  which 
the  other.  The  moral  sense  seemed  to  have 
become  confused,  if  not  utterly  lost  for  the  time. 


Circle  in  the  Minister's  House.      21 

They  were  full  of  tricks.  They  stuck  concealed 
pins  into  their  bodies,  and  accused  others  of  doing 
it — their  contortions  and  trances  were  to  a  great 
extent  mere  shams — they  lied  without  scruple — 
they  bore  false  witness,  and  what  in  many,  if  not 
most,  cases  they  knew  was  false  witness,  against 
not  only  those  to  whom  they  bore  ill  will  but 
against  the  most  virtuous  and  kindly  women  of  the 
neighborhood;  and  if  the  religious  delusion  had 
taken  another  shape,  and  we  see  no  reason  why 
it  should  not  have  done  so,  and  put  the  whole  of 
them  on  trial  as  seekers  after  "familiar  spirits" 
and  condemned  the  older  girls  to  death,  there 
would  at  least  have  been  some  show  of  justice  in 
the  proceedings;  while,  as  it  is,  there  is  not  a 
single  ray  of  light  to  illuminate  the  judicial  gloom. 

When  at  last  Mr.  Parris  and  Thomas  Putnam 
became  awyare  of  the  condition  of  their  children, 
they  called  in  the  village  physician,  Dr.  Griggs. 
The  latter,  finding  he  could  do  nothing  with  his 
medicines,  gave  it  as  his  opinion  that  they  were 
"under  an  evil  hand" — the  polite  medical  phrase 
of  that  day,  for  being  bewitched. 

That  important  point  being  settled,  the  next 
followed  of  course,  "Who  has  bewitched  them?" 
The  children  being  asked  said,  "Tituba." 


CHAPTER  IV. 

Satan's  Especial  Grudge  against  Our  Puritan 
Fathers. 

"Tituba!"  And  who  else?  Why  need  there 
have  been  anybody  else  ?  Why  could  not  the 
whole  thing  have  stopped  just  there  ?  No  doubt 
Tituba  was  guilty,  if  any  one  was.  But  Tituba 
escaped,  by  shrewdly  also  becoming  an  accuser. 

"Who  else  ?"  This  set  the  children's  imagina 
tion  roving.  Their  first  charges  were  not  so 
unreasonable.  Why,  the  vagrant  Sarah  Good,  a 
social  outcast,  wandering  about  without  any 
settled  habitation;  and  Sarah  Osburn,  a  bed 
ridden  woman,  half  distracted  by  family  troubles 
who  had  seen  better  days.  There  the  truth  was 
out.  Tituba,  Sarah  Good  and  Sarah  Osburn 
were  the  agents  of  the  devil  in  this  foul  attempt 
against  the  peace  of  the  godly  inhabitants  of  Salem 
village. 

For  it  was  a  common  belief  even  amongst  the 
wisest  and  best  of  our  Puritan  fathers,  that  the 
devil  had  a  special  spite  against  the  New  England 
colonies.  They  looked  at  it  in  this  way.  He  had 


Satan's  Especial  Grudge         23 

conquered  in  the  fight  against  the  Lord  in  the 
old  world.  He  was  the  supreme  and  undoubted 
lord  of  the  "heathen  salvages"  in  the  new.  Now 
that  the  Puritan  forces  had  commenced  an  on 
slaught  upon  him  in  the  western  hemisphere,  to 
wrhich  he  had  an  immemorial  right  as  it  were, 
could  it  be  wondered  at  that  he  was  incensed 
beyond  all  calculation  ?  Was  he,  after  having 
Europe,  Asia  and  Africa,  to  be  driven  out  of  North 
America  by  a  small  body  of  steeple-hatted,  psalm- 
singing,  and  conceited  Puritans  ?  No  wonder 
his  satanic  ire  was  aroused;  and  that  he  was  up 
to  all  manner  of  devices  to  harass,  disorganize  and 
afflict  the  camp  of  his  enemies. 

I  am  afraid  this  seems  a  little  ridiculous  to 
readers  nowadays;  but  to  the  men  and  women  of 
two  hundred  years  ago  it  was  grim  and  sober 
earnest,  honestly  and  earnestly  believed  in. 

Who,  in  the  face  of  such  wonderful  changes  in 
our  religious  views,  can  venture  to  predict  what 
will  be  the  belief  of  our  descendants  two  hundred 
years  hence  ? 


CHAPTER  V. 
Leah  Herrick's  Position  and  Feelings. 

I  have  classed  Leah  Herrick  among  the  domes 
tics;  but  her  position  was  rather  above  that.  She 
had  lived  with  the  Widow  Sands,  Jethro's  aunt, 
since  she  had  been  twelve  years  old,  assisting  in  the 
housework,  and  receiving  her  board  and  clothing 
in  return.  Now,  at  the  age  of  twenty,  she  was 
worth  more  than  that  recompense;  but  she  still 
remained  on  the  old  terms,  as  if  she  were  a  daugh 
ter  instead  of  a  servant. 

She  remained,  asking  nothing  more,  because 
she  had  made  up  her  mind  to  be  Jethro's  wife. 
She  had  a  passion  for  Jethro,  and  she  knew  that 
Jethro  reciprocated  it.  But  his  aunt,  who  was 
ambitious,  wished  him  to  look  higher;  and  there 
fore  did  not  encourage  such  an  alliance.  Leah 
was  however  too  valuable  and  too  cheap  an 
assistant  to  be  dispensed  with,  and  thus  removed 
from  such  a  dangerous  proximity,  besides  the 
widow  really  had  no  objection  to  her,  save  on 
account  of  her  poverty. 

Leah  said  nothing  when  she  saw  that  Jethro's 
attentions  were  directed  in  another  direction;  but 

24 


Leah  Herrick's  Position.          25 

without  saying  anything  directly  to  Dulcibel,  she 
contrived  to  impress  her  with  the  fact  that  she 
had  trespassed  upon  her  rightful  domain.  For 
Leah  was  a  cat;  and  amidst  her  soft  purrings,  she 
would  occasionally  put  out  her  velvety  paw,  and 
give  a  wicked  little  scratch  that  made  the  blood 
come,  and  so  softly  and  innocently  too,  that  the 
sufferer  could  hardly  take  offence  at  it. 

Between  these  sharp  intimations  of  Leah,  and 
the  unpleasant  revelations  of  the  innate  hard 
ness  of  the  young  man's  character,  which  re 
sulted  from  the  closer  intimacy  of  a  betrothal, 
Dulcibel's  affection  had  been  gradually  cooling 
for  several  months.  But  although  the  longed-for 
estrangement  between  the  two  had  at  length 
taken  place,  Leah  did  not  feel  quite  safe  yet;  for 
the  Widow  Sands  was  very  much  put  out  about  it, 
and  censured  her  nephew  for  his  want  of  wisdom 
in  not  holding  Dulcibel  to  her  engagement. 
"She  has  a  good  house  and  farm  already,  and  she 
will  be  certain  to  receive  much  more  on  the  death 
of  her  bachelor  uncle  in  England,"  said  the  aunt 
sharply.  "You  must  strive  to  undo  that  foolish 
hour's  work.  It  was  only  a  tiff  on  her  part,  and 
you  should  have  cried  your  eyes  out  if  necessary. " 

And  so  Leah,  thinking  in  her  own  heart  that 


26  Dulcibel. 

Jethro  was  a  prize  for  any  girl,  was  in  constant 
dread  of  a  renewal  of  the  engagement,  and  ready 
to  go  to  any  length  to  prevent  it. 

Although  a  member  of  the  "circle"  that  met  at 
the  minister's  house,  Leah  was  not  so  regular  an 
attendant  as  the  others;  for  there  were  no  men 
there  and  she  never  liked  to  miss  the  opportunity 
of  a  private  conversation  with  Jethro,  opportu 
nities  which  were  somewhat  limited,  owing  to  the 
continual  watchfulness  of  her  mistress.  Still  she 
went  frequently  enough  to  be  fully  imbued  with 
the  spirit  of  their  doings,  while  not  becoming  such 
a  victim  as  most  of  them  were  to  disordered  nerves, 
and  an  impaired  and  confused  mental  and  moral 
constitution. 


CHAPTER  VI. 
A  Disorderly  Scene  in  Church. 

If  anything  were  needed  to  add  to  the  excite 
ment  which  the  condition  of  the  "afflicted  chil 
dren,"  as  they  were  generally  termed,  naturally 
produced  in  Salem  village  and  the  adjoining 
neighborhood,  it  was  a  scene  in  the  village  church 
one  Sunday  morning. 

The  church  was  a  low,  small  structure,  with 
rough,  unplastered  roof  and  walls,  and  wooden 
benches  instead  of  pews.  The  sexes  were  divided, 
the  men  sitting  on  one  side  and  the  women  on  the 
other,  but  each  person  in  his  or  her  regular  and 
appointed  seat. 

It  was  the  custom  at  that  time  to  select  a  seating 
committee  of  judicious  and  careful  men,  whose 
very  important  duty  it  was  to  seat  the  congrega 
tion.  In  doing  this  they  proceeded  on  certain 
well-defined  principles. 

The  front  seats  were  to  be  filled  with  the  older 
members  of  the  congregation,  a  due  reverence 
for  age,  as  well  as  for  the  fact  that  these  were  more 
apt  to  be  weak  of  sight  and  infirm  of  hearing, 

necessitated    this.     Then    came    the    elders    and 

27 


28  Dulcibel. 

deacons  of  the  church;  then  the  wealthier  citizens 
of  the  parish;  then  the  younger  people  and  the 
children. 

The  Puritan  fathers  had  their  faults;  but  they 
never  would  have  tolerated  the  fashionable  custom 
of  these  days,  whereby  the  wealthy,  without 
regard  to  their  age,  occupy  the  front  pews;  and 
the  poorer  members,  no  matter  how  aged,  or 
infirm  of  sight  or  hearing  are  often  forced  back 
where  they  can  neither  see  the  minister  nor  hear 
the  sermon.  And  one  can  imagine  in  what 
forcible  terms  they  would  have  denounced  some 
city  meeting-houses  of  the  present  era  where  the 
church  is  regarded  somewhat  in  the  light  of  an 
opera  house,  and  the  doors  of  the  pews  kept 
locked  and  closed  until  those  who  have  purchased 
the  right  to  reserved  seats  shall  have  had  the  first 
chance  to  enter. 

The  Reverend  Master  Lawson,  a  visiting  elder, 
was  the  officiating  minister  on  the  Sunday  to  which 
we  have  referred.  The  psalm  had  been  sung 
after  the  opening  prayer  and  the  minister  was 
about  to  come  forward  to  give  his  sermon,  when, 
before  he  could  rise  from  his  seat,  Abigail  Williams, 
the  niece  of  the  Reverend  Master  Parris,  only 
twelve  years  old,  and  one  of  the  "circle"  cried  out 


Disorderly  Scene  in  Church.      29 

loudly: — "Now  stand  up  and  name  your  text!" 

When  he  had  read  the  text,  she  exclaimed 
insolently,  "It's  a  long  text."  And  then  when 
he  was  referring  to  his  doctrine,  she  said: — "I 
know  no  doctrine  you  mentioned.  If  you  named 
any,  I  have  forgotten  it. " 

And  then  when  he  had  concluded,  she  cried 
out,  "Look!  there  sits  Goody  Osburn  upon  the 
beam,  suckling  her  yellow-bird  betwixt  her 
fingers." 

Then  Ann  Putnam,  that  other  child  of  twelve, 
joined  in;  "There  flies  the  yellow-bird  to  the 
minister's  hat,  hanging  on  the  pin  in  the  pulpit. " 

Of  course  such  disorderly  proceedings  produced 
a  great  excitement  in  the  congregation;  but  the 
two  children  do  not  appear  to  have  been  rebuked 
by  either  of  the  ministers,  or  by  any  of  the  officers 
of  the  church;  it  seeming  to  have  been  the  general 
conclusion  that  they  were  not  responsible  for  what 
they  said,  but  were  constrained  by  an  irresistible 
and  diabolical  influence.  In  truth,  the  children 
were  regarded  with  awe  and  pity  instead  of  reproof 
and  blame,  and  therefore  naturally  felt  encouraged 
to  further  efforts  in  the  same  direction. 

I  have  said  that  this  was  the  general  feeling, 
but  that  feeling  was  not  universal.  Several  of  the 


30  Dulcibel. 

members,  notably  young  Joseph  Putnam,  Francis 
Nurse  and  Peter  Cloyse  were  very  much  dis 
pleased  at  the  toleration  shown  to  such  disorderly 
doings,  and  began  to  absent  themselves  from 
public  worship,  with  the  result  of  incurring  the 
anger  of  the  children,  who  were  rapidly  assuming 
the  role  of  destroying  angels  to  the  people  of 
Salem  village  and  its  vicinity. 

As  fasting  and  prayer  were  the  usual  resources 
of  our  Puritan  fathers  in  difficulties,  these  were 
naturally  resorted  to  at  once  upon  this  occasion. 
The  families  to  which  the  "afflicted  children" 
belonged  assembled  the  neighbors — who  had  also 
fasted — and,  under  the  guidance  of  the  Reverend 
Master  Parris,  besought  the  Lord  to  deliver  them 
from  the  power  of  the  Evil  One.  These  were 
exciting  occasions,  for,  whenever  there  was  a 
pause  in  the  proceedings,  such  of  the  "afflicted" 
as  were  present  would  break  out  into  demoniac 
howlings,  followed  by  contortions  and  rigid 
trances,  which,  in  the  words  of  our  manuscript, 
were  "enough  to  make  the  devil  himself  weep." 

These  village  prayers,  however,  seeming  to  be 
insufficient,  Master  Parris  called  a  meeting  of  the 
neighboring  ministers;  but  the  prayers  of  these 
also  had  no  effect.  The  "children"  even  sur- 


Disorderly  Scene  in  Church.       31 

passed  themselves  on  this  occasion.  The  minis 
ters  could  not  doubt  the  evidence  of  their  own 
reverend  eyes  and  ears,  and  united  in  the  declara 
tion  of  their  belief  that  Satan  had  been  let  loose  in 
this  little  Massachusetts  village,  to  confound  and 
annoy  the  godly,  to  a  greater  extent  than  they  had 
ever  before  known  or  heard  of.  And  now  that 
the  ministers  had  spoken,  it  was  almost  irreligious 
and  atheistical  for  others  to  express  any  doubt. 
For  if  the  ministers  could  not  speak  with  authority 
in  a  case  of  this  kind,  which  seemed  to  be  within 
their  peculiar  field  and  province,  what  was  their 
judgment  worth  upon  any  matter  ? 


CHAPTER  VII. 
A  Conversation  with  Dulcibel. 

As  Dulcibel  sat  in  the  little  room  which  she  had 
furnished  in  a  pretty  but  simple  way  for  a  parlor, 
some  days  after  the  meeting  of  the  ministers,  her 
thoughts  naturally  dwelt  upon  all  these  exciting 
events  which  were  occurring  around  her.  It  was 
an  April  day,  and  the  snow  had  melted  earlier 
than  usual,  and  it  seemed  as  if  the  spring  might 
be  an  exceptionally  forward  one.  The  sun  was 
pleasantly  warm,  and  the  wind  blowing  soft  and 
gently  from  the  south;  and  a  canary  bird  in  the 
rustic  cage  that  hung  on  the  wall  was  singing  at 
intervals  a  hymn  of  rejoicing  at  the  coming  of  the 
spring.  The  bird  was  one  that  had  been  given 
her  by  a  distinguished  sea-captain  of  Boston  town, 
who  had  brought  it  home  from  the  West  Indies. 
Dulcibel  had  tamed  and  petted  it,  until  she  could 
let  it  out  from  the  cage  and  allow  it  to  fly  around 
the  room;  then,  at  the  words,  "Come  Cherry," 
as  she  opened  the  little  door  of  the  cage,  the  bird 
would  fly  in  again,  knowing  that  he  would  be 
rewarded  for  his  good  conduct  with  a  little  piece 
of  sweet  cake. 

32 


Conversation  with  Dulcibel.       33 

Cherry  would  perch  on  her  finger  and  sing  his 
prettiest  strains  on  some  occasions;  and  at  others 
eat  out  of  her  hand.  But  his  prettiest  feat  was  to 
kiss  his  mistress  by  putting  his  little  beak  to  her 
lips,  when  she  would  say  in  a  caressing  tone,  "  Kiss 
me,  pretty  Cherry." 

After  playing  with  the  canary  for  a  little  while, 
Dulcibel  sighed  and  put  him  back  in  his  cage, 
hearing  a  knock  at  the  front  door  of  the  cottage. 
And  she  had  just  turned  from  the  cage  to  take 
a  seat,  when  the  door  opened  and  two  persons 
entered. 

"I  am  glad  to  see  you,  friends,"  she  said  calmly, 
inviting  them  to  be  seated. 

It  was  Joseph  Putnam,  accompanied  by  his 
friend  and  visitor,  Ellis  Raymond,  the  young 
man  of  whom  Dulcibel  had  spoken  to  Jethro 
Sands. 

Joseph  Putnam  was  one  of  that  somewhat 
distinguished  family  from  whom  came  the 
Putnams  of  Revolutionary  fame;  Major-General 
Israel  Putnam,  the  wolf-slayer,  being  one  of  his 
younger  children.  He,  the  father  I  mean,  was 
a  man  of  fine,  athletic  frame,  not  only  of  body 
but  of  mind.  He  was  one  of  the  very  few  in 
Salem  village  who  despised  the  whole  witch- 


34  Dulcibel. 

delusion  from  the  beginning.        He  did  not  dis 
believe  in  the  existence  of  witches — or  that  the 
devil  was  tormenting  the   "afflicted   children"- 
but  that  faith  should  be  put  in  their  wild  stories 
was  quite  another  matter. 

Of  his  companion,  Master  Ellis  Raymond, 
I  find  no  other  certain  account  anywhere  than 
in  my  Quaker  friend's  manuscript.  From  the 
little  that  is  there  given  of  personal  description 
I  have  only  the  three  phrases  "a  comelie  young 
man,"  "a  very  quick-witted  person,"  "a  very 
determined  and  courageous  man,"  out  of  which 
to  build  a  physical  and  spiritual  description. 
And  so  I  think  it  rather  safer  to  leave  the  por 
traiture  to  the  imagination  of  my  readers. 

"Do  you  expect  to  remain  long  in  Salem  ?" 
asked  Dulcibel. 

"I  do  not  know  yet,"  was  the  reply.  "I  came 
that  I  might  see  what  prospects  the  new  world 
holds  out  to  young  men." 

"I  want  Master  Raymond  to  purchase  the 
Orchard  Farm,  and  settle  down  among  us,"  said 
Joseph  Putnam.  "It  can  be  bought  I  think." 

"I  have  heard  people  say  the  price  is  a  very 
high  one,"  said  Dulcibel. 

"It  is  high  but  the  land  is  worth  the  money.     In 


Conversation  with  Dulcibel.      35 

twenty  years  it  will  seem  very  low.  My  father 
saw  the  time  when  a  good  cow  was  worth  as 
much  as  a  fifty-acre  farm,  but  land  is  continually 
rising  in  value." 

"I  shall  look  farther  south  before  deciding," 
said  Raymond.  "I  am  told  the  land  is  better 
there;  besides  there  are  too  many  witches  here," 
and  he  smiled. 

"We  have  been  up  to  see  my  brother  Thomas," 
continued  Joseph  Putnam.  "He  always  has 
had  the  reputation  of  being  a  sober-headed  man, 
but  he  is  all  off  his  balance  now." 

"What  does  Mistress  Putnam  say  ?"  asked 
Dulcibel. 

"Oh,  she  is  at  the  bottom  of  all  his  craziness, 
she  and  that  elfish  daughter.  Sister  Ann  is  a 
very  intelligent  woman  in  some  respects,  but  she 
is  wild  upon  this  question." 

"I  am  told  by  the  neighbors  that  the  child  is 
greatly  afflicted. " 

"She  came  in  the  room  while  we  were  there," 
responded  Master  Raymond.  "I  knew  not  what 
to  make  of  it.  She  flung  herself  down  on  the 
floor,  she  crept  under  the  table,  she  shrieked, 
she  said  Goody  Osburn  was  sticking  pins  in  her, 
and  wound  up  by  going  into  convulsions." 


36  Dulcibel. 

"What  can  it  all  mean  ? — it  is  terrible,"  said 
Dulcibel. 

"Well,  the  Doctor  says  she  is  suffering  under 
an  'evil  hand,'  and  the  ministers  have  given  their 
solemn  opinion  that  she  is  bewitched;  and  brother 
Thomas  and  Sister  Ann,  and  about  all  the  rest 
of  the  family  agree  with  them." 

"I  am  afraid  it  will  go  hard  with  those  two  old 
women,"  interposed  Ellis  Raymond. 

"They  will  hang  them  as  sure  as  they  are  tried," 
answered  Joseph  Putnam.  "Not  that  it  makes 
much  difference,  for  neither  of  them  is  much  to 
speak  of;  but  they  have  a  right  to  a  fair  trial 
nevertheless,  and  they  cannot  get  such  a  thing 
just  now  in  Salem  village. 

"I  can  hardly  believe  there  are  such  things  as 
witches,"  said  Dulcibel,  "and  if  there  are,  I  do 
not  believe  the  good  Lord  would  allow  them  to 
torment  innocent  children." 

"Oh,  I  don't  know  that  it  will  do  to  say  there 
are  no  witches,"  replied  Joseph  Putnam  gravely. 
It  seems  to  me  we  must  give  up  the  Bible  if  we 
say  that.  For  the  Old  Testament  expressly 
commands  that  we  must  not  suffer  a  witch  to 
live;  and  it  would  be  absurd  to  give  such  a  com 
mand  if  there  were  no  such  persons  as  witches." 


Conversation  with  Dulcibel.      37 

"I  suppose  it  must  be  so,"  admitted  Dulcibel, 
with  a  deep  sigh. 

"And  then  again  in  the  New  Testament  we 
have  continual  references  to  persons  possessed 
with  devils,  and  others  who  had  familiar  spirits, 
and  if  such  persons  existed  then,  why  not  now  ?" 

"Oh,  of  course,  it  is  so,"  again  admitted  Dulcibel 
with  even  a  deeper  sigh  than  before. 

But  even  in  that  day,  outside  of  the  Puritan 
and  other  religious  bodies,  there  were  unbelievers; 
and  Ellis  Raymond  had  allowed  himself  to  smile 
once  or  twice,  unperceived  by  the  others,  during 
their  conversation.  Thus  we  read  in  the  life  of 
that  eminent  jurist,  the  Honorable  Francis  North, 
who  presided  at  a  trial  for  witchcraft  about  ten 
years  before  the  period  of  which  we  are  writing, 
that  he  looked  upon  the  whole  thing  as  a  vulgar 
delusion,  though  he  said  it  was  necessary  to  be 
very  careful  to  conceal  such  opinions  from  the 
juries  of  the  time,  or  else  they  would  set  down 
the  judges  at  once  as  irreligious  persons,  and 
bring  in  the  prisoners  guilty. 

"I  am  not  so  certain  of  it,"  said  Ellis  Raymond. 

"How!  What  do  you  mean,  Master  Ray 
mond  ?"  exclaimed  Joseph  Putnam;  like  all  his 
family,  he  was  orthodox  to  the  bone  in  his  opinions. 


38  Dulcibel. 

"My  idea  is  that  in  the  old  times  they  sup 
posed  all  distracted  and  insane  people — especially 
the  violent  ones,  the  maniacs — to  be  possessed 
with  devils." 

"Do  you  think  so  ?"  queried  Dulcibel  in  a 
glad  voice,  a  light  seeming  to  break  in  upon  her. 

"Well,  I  take  it  for  granted  that  there  were 
plenty  of  insane  people  in  the  old  times  as  there 
are  now;  and  yet  I  see  no  mention  of  them  as 
such,  in  either  the  Old  or  the  New  Testament." 

"I  never  thought  of  that  before;  it  seems  to 
me  a  very  reasonable  explanation,  does  it  not 
strike  you  so,  Master  Putnam  ?" 

"So  reasonable,  that  it  reasons  away  all  our 
faith  in  the  absolute  truthfulness  of  every  word 
of  the  holy  scriptures,"  replied  Joseph  Putnam 
sternly.  "Do  you  suppose  the  Evangelists, 
when  they  spoke  of  persons  having  'familiar 
spirits,'  and  being  'possessed  of  devils,'  did  not 
know  what  they  were  talking  about  ?  I  would 
rather  believe  that  every  insane  person  now  is 
possessed  with  a  devil,  and  that  such  is  the  true 
explanation  of  his  or  her  insanity,  than  to  fly  in 
the  face  of  the  holy  scriptures  as  you  do,  Master 
Raymond." 

Dulcibel's   countenance   fell.     "Yes,"    she    re- 


Conversation  with  Dulcibel. 


39 


sponded  in  reverential  tones,  "the  holy  Evangelists 
must  know  best.  If  they  said  so,  it  must  be  so." 
"You  little  orthodox  darling!"  thought  young 
Master  Raymond,  gazing  upon  her  beautiful  sad 
face.  But  of  course  he  did  not  express  himself 
to  such  an  effect,  except  by  his  gaze;  and  Dulcibel 
happening  to  look  up  and  catch  the  admiring 
expression  of  two  clear  brown  eyes,  turned  her 
own  instantly  down  again,  while  a  faint  blush 
mantled  her  cheeks. 

The  young  Englishman  knew  that  in  arousing 
such  heterodox  opinions  he  was  getting  on  danger 
ous  ground.  For  expressing  not  a  greater  degree 
of  heresy  than  he  had  uttered,  other  men  and  even 
women  had  been  turned  neck  and  heels  out  of  the 
Puritan  settlements.  And  as  he  had  no  desire 
to  leave  Salem  just  at  present,  he  began  to  "hedge" 
a  little,  as  betting  men  sometimes  say. 

"Insane  people,  maniacs  especially,  do  some 
times  act  as  if  they  were  possessed  of  the  devil," 
he  said  frankly.  "And  no  doubt  their  insanity 
is  often  the  result  of  the  sinful  indulgence  of  their 
wicked  propensities  and  passions." 

"Yes,  that  seems  to  be  very  reasonable,"  said 
Dulcibel.  "Every  sinful  act  seems  to  me  a 
yielding  to  the  evil  one,  and  such  yielding  becom- 


40  Dulcibel. 

ing  common,  he  may  at  least  be  able  to  enter  into 
the  soul,  and  take  absolute  possession  of  it.  Oh, 
it  is  very  fearful!"  and  she  shuddered. 

"But  I  find  one  opinion  almost  universal  in 
Salem,"  continued  Raymond,  "and  that  is  one 
which  I  think  has  no  ground  to  sustain  it  in  the 
scriptures,  and  is  very  mischievous.  It  is  that 
the  devil  cannot  act  directly  upon  human  beings  to 
afflict  and  torment  them;  but  that  he  is  forced  to 
have  recourse  to  the  agency  of  other  human  beings, 
who  have  become  his  worshipers  and  agents. 
Thus  in  the  cases  of  these  children  and  young  girls, 
instead  of  admitting  that  the  devil  and  his  imps 
are  directly  afflicting  them,  they  begin  to  look 
around  for  witches  and  wizards  as  the  sources  of 
the  trouble." 

"Yes,"  responded  Joseph  Putnam  earnestly, 
"that  false  and  unscriptural  doctrine  is  the  source 
of  all  the  trouble.  That  little  Ann  Putnam, 
Abigail  Williams  and  the  others  are  bewitched, 
may  perhaps  be  true — a  number  of  godly  min 
isters  say  so,  and  they  ought  to  know.  But,  if 
they  are  bewitched,  it  is  the  devil  and  his  imps  that 
have  done  it.  If  they  are  'possessed  with  devils'- 
and  does  not  that  scripture  mean  that  the  devils 
directly  take  possession  of  them — what  is  their 


Conversation  with  Dulcibel.      41 

testimony  worth  against  others  ?  It  is  nearly  the 
testimony  of  Satan  and  his  imps,  speaking  through 
them.  While  they  are  in  that  state,  their  evidence 
should  not  be  allowed  credence  by  any  magistrate, 
any  more  than  the  devil's  should." 

It  seems  very  curious  to  those  of  the  present 
day  who  have  investigated  this  matter  of  witch 
persecutions,  that  such  a  sound  and  orthodox 
view  as  this  of  Joseph  Putnam's  should  have  had 
such  little  weight  with  the  judges  and  ministers 
and  other  leading  men  of  the  seventeenth  century. 
While  a  few  urged  it,  even  as  Joseph  Putnam  did, 
at  the  risk  of  his  own  life,  the  great  majority  not 
only  of  the  common  people  but  of  the  leading 
classes,  regarded  it  as  unsound  and  irreligious. 
But  the  whole  history  of  the  world  proves  that  the 
vox  populi  is  very  seldom  the  vox  Dei.  The 
light  shines  down  from  the  rising  sun  in  the  heav 
ens,  and  the  mountain  tops  first  receive  the  rays. 
The  last  new  truth  is  always  first  perceived  by  the 
small  minority  of  superior  minds  and  souls.  How 
indeed  could  it  be  otherwise,  so  long  as  truth  like 
light  always  shines  down  from  above  ? 

"Have  you  communicated  this  view  to  your 
brother  and  sister?"  asked  Dulcibel. 

"I  have  talked  with  them  for  a  whole  evening, 


42  Dulcibel. 

but  I  do  think  Sister  Ann  is  possessed  too," 
replied  Joseph  Putnam.  "She  fairly  raves  some 
times.  You  know  how  bitterly  she  feels  about 
that  old  church  quarrel,  when  a  small  minority 
of  the  Parish  succeeded  in  preventing  the  per 
manent  settlement  of  her  sister's  husband  as 
minister.  She  seems  to  have  the  idea  that  all 
that  party  are  emissaries  of  Satan.  I  do  not 
wonder  her  little  girl  should  be  so  nervous  and 
excitable,  being  the  child  of  such  a  nervous,  high- 
strung  woman.  But  I  am  going  to  see  them  again 
this  afternoon;  will  you  go  too,  Master  Raymond  ?' 

"I  think  not,"  replied  the  latter  with  a  smile, 
"I  should  do  harm,  I  fear,  instead  of  good.  I 
will  stay  here  and  talk  with  Mistress  Dulcibel  a 
little  while  longer." 

Master  Putnam  departed,  and  then  the  con 
versation  became  of  a  lighter  character.  The 
young  Englishman  told  Dulcibel  of  his  home  in 
the  old  world,  and  of  his  travels  in  France  and 
Switzerland.  And  they  talked  of  all  those  little 
things  which  young  people  will — little  things,  but 
which  afford  constant  peeps  into  each  other's 
mind  and  heart.  Dulcibel  thought  she  had  never 
met  such  a  cultivated  young  man,  although  she 
had  read  of  such;  and  he  felt  very  certain  that 


Conversation  with  Dulcibel.      43 

he  never  met  with  such  a  lovely  young  woman. 
Not  that  she  was  over  intelligent — one  of  those 
precociously  "smart"  young  women  that,  thanks 
to  the  female  colleges  and  the  "higher  culture" 
are  being  "developed"  in  such  alarming  numbers 
nowadays.  If  she  had  been  such  a  being,  I 
fancy  Master  Raymond  would  have  found  her 
less  attractive.  Ah,  well,  after  a  time  perhaps,  we 
of  the  present  day  shall  have  another  craze — 
that  of  barbarism — in  which  the  "coming  woman" 
shall  pride  herself  mainly  upon  possessing  a  strong, 
healthy  and  vigorous  physical  organization,  devel 
oped  within  the  feminine  lines  of  beauty,  and  only 
a  reasonable  degree  of  intelligence  and  "culture." 
And  then  I  hope  we  shall  see  the  last  of  walking 
female  encyclopedias,  with  thin  waists,  and  sickly 
and  enfeebled  bodies;  fit  to  be  the  mothers  only 
of  a  rapidly  dwindling  race,  even  if  they  have  the 
wish  and  power  to  become  mothers  at  all. 

I  am  not  much  of  a  believer  in  love  at  first 
sight,  but  certainly  persons  may  become  very  much 
interested  in  each  other  after  a  few  hours'  con 
versation;  and  so  it  was  in  the  case  before  us. 
When  Ellis  Raymond  took  up  his  hat,  and  then 
lingered  minute  after  minute,  as  if  he  could  not 
bring  himself  to  the  point  of  departure,  he  simply 


44  Dulcibel. 

manifested  anew  to  the  maiden  what  his  tones 
and  looks  had  been  telling  her  for  an  hour,  that 
he  admired  her  very  greatly. 

"Come  soon  again,"  Dulcibel  said  softly,  as 
the  young  man  managed  to  open  the  door  at  last, 
and  make  his  final  adieu.  "And  indeed  I  shall 
if  you  will  permit  me,"  was  his  earnest  response. 

But  some  fair  reader  may  ask,  "What  were  these 
two  doing  during  all  the  winter,  that  they  had  not 
seen  each  other?" 

I  answer  that  Dulcibel  had  withdrawn  from 
the  village  gatherings  since  the  breaking  of  the 
engagement  with  Jethro.  At  the  best,  it  was  an 
acknowledgment  that  she  had  been  too  hasty  in  a 
matter  that  she  should  not  have  allowed  herself 
to  fail  in;  and  she  felt  humbled  under  the  thought. 
Besides,  it  seemed  to  her  refined  and  sensitive 
nature  only  decorous  that  she  should  withdraw 
for  a  time  into  the  seclusion  of  her  own  home 
under  such  circumstances. 

As  for  the  village  gossips,  they  entirely  misin 
terpreted  her  conduct.  Inasmuch  as  Jethro  went 
around  as  usual,  and  put  a  bold  face  upon  the 
matter,  they  came  to  the  conclusion  that  he  had 
thrown  her  off",  and  that  she  was  moping  at  home, 
because  she  felt  the  blow  so  keenly. 


Conversation  with  Dulcibel.      45 

Thus  it  was  that  while  the  young  Englishman 
had  attended  many  social  gatherings  during  the 
winter  he  had  never  met  the  one  person  whom  he 
was  especially  desirous  of  again  meeting. 

One  little  passage  of  the  conversation  between 
the  two  it  may  be  well  however  to  refer  to  expressly 
for  its  bearing  upon  a  very  serious  matter.  Ray 
mond  had  mentioned  that  he  had  not  seen  her 
recently  flying  around  on  that  little  jet  black  horse, 
and  had  asked  whether  she  still  owned  it. 

"Oh,  yes,"  replied  Dulcibel;  "I  doubt  that  I 
should  be  able  to  sell  Little  Witch  if  I  washed  to 
do  so." 

"Ah,  how  is  that  ?  She  seems  to  be  a  very  fine 
riding  beast." 

"She  is,  very!  But  you  have  not  heard  that  I 
am  the  only  one  that  has  ever  ridden  her  or  that 
can  ride  her." 

"Indeed!  that  is  curious." 

I  have  owned  her  from  a  little  colt.  She  was 
never  broken  to  harness;  and  no  one,  as  I  said, 
has  ever  ridden  her  but  me.  So  that  now  if  any 
other  person,  man  or  woman,  attempts  to  do  so, 
she  wTill  not  allow  it.  She  rears,  she  plunges,  and 
finally  as  a  last  resort,  if  necessary,  lies  down  on 
the  ground  and  refuses  to  stir. 


46  Dulcibel. 

"Why,  that  is  very  flattering  to  you,  Dulcibel," 
said  Raymond  smiling.  "I  never  knew  an  animal 
of  better  taste." 

"That  may  be,"  replied  the  maiden  blushing; 
"but  you  see  how  it  is  that  I  shall  never  be  able 
to  sell  Little  Witch  if  I  desire  to  do  so.  She  is  not 
worth  her  keep  to  any  one  but  me." 

"Little  Witch!  Why  did  you  ever  give  her  a 
name  like  that  ?" 

"Oh,  I  was  a  mere  child — and  my  father,  who 
had  been  a  sea-captain,  and  all  over  the  world,  did 
not  believe  in  witches.  He  named  her  "Little 
Witch"  because  she  was  so  black,  and  so  bent  on 
her  own  way.  But  I  must  change  her  name  now 
that  people  are  talking  so  about  witches.  In  truth 
my  mother  never  liked  it. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 
An  Examination  of  Reputed  Witches, 

Warrants  had  been  duly  issued  against  Sarah 
Good,  Sarah  Osburn,  and  the  Indian  woman 
Tituba,  and  they  were  now  to  be  tried  for  the  very 
serious  offence  of  bewitching  the  "afflicted  chil 
dren." 

One  way  that  the  witches  of  that  day  were  sup 
posed  to  work,  was  to  make  images  out  of  rags, 
like  dolls,  which  they  named  for  the  persons  they 
meant  to  torment.  Then,  by  sticking  pins  and 
needles  into  the  dolls,  tightening  cords  around 
their  throats,  and  similar  doings,  the  witches 
caused  the  same  amount  of  pain  as  if  they  had 
done  it  to  the  living  objects  of  their  enmity. 

In  these  cases,  the  officers  who  executed  the 
warrants  of  arrest,  stated  "that  they  had  made 
diligent  search  for  images  and  such  like,  but  could 
find  none." 

On  the  day  appointed  for  the  examination  of 
these  poor  women,  the  two  leading  magistrates  of 
the  neighborhood,  John  Hathorne  and  Jonathan 
Corwin,  rode  up  the  principal  street  of  the  village 
attended  by  the  marshal  and  constables,  in  quite 

47 


48  Dulcibel. 

an  imposing  array.  The  crowd  was  so  great  that 
they  had  to  hold  the  session  in  the  meeting-house 
The  magistrates  belonged  to  the  highest  legislative 
and  judicial  body  in  the  colony.  Hathorne,  as  the 
name  was  then  spelt,  was  the  ancestor  of  the  gifted 
author,  Nathaniel  Hawthorne — the  alteration  in 
the  spelling  of  the  name  probably  being  made 
to  make  it  conform  more  nearly  to  the  pronuncia 
tion.  Hathorne  was  a  man  of  force  and  ability— 
though  evidently  also  as  narrow-minded  and  unfair 
as  only  a  bigot  can  be.  All  through  the  examination 
that  ensued  he  took  a  leading  part,  and  with  him, 
to  be  accused  was  to  be  set  down  at  once  as  guilty. 
Never,  among  either  Christian  or  heathen  people, 
was  there  a  greater  travesty  of  justice  than  these 
examinations  and  trials  for  witchcraft,  conducted 
by  the  very  foremost  men  of  the  Massachusetts 
colony. 

The  accounts  of  the  examination  of  these  three 
women  in  the  manuscript  book  I  have  alluded  to, 
are  substantially  the  same  as  in  the  official  records, 
which  are  among  those  that  have  been  preserved. 
I  will  give  some  quotations  to  show  how  the  exami 
nations  were  conducted:— 

"Sarah  Good,  what  evil  spirit  are  you  familiar 
with?" 


Examination  of  Reputed  Witches. 


49 


She   answered   sharply,   "None!" 

"Have  you  made  no  contracts  with  the  Devil  ?" 

"No!" 

"Why  then  do  you  hurt  these  children?"  "I 
do  not  hurt  them.  I  would  scorn  to  do  it. " 

"  Here  the  children  who  were  facing  her,  began 
to  be  dreadfully  tormented;  and  then  when  their 
torments  were  over  for  the  time,  again  accused  her, 
and  also  Sarah  Osburn. 

"  Sarah  Good,  why  do  you  not  tell  us  the  truth  ? 
Why  do  you  thus  torment  them?"  "I  do  not 
torment  them. " 

"Who  then  does  torment  them?"  "It  may 
be  that  Sarah  Osburn  does,  for  I  do  not. " 

"Her  answers,"  says  the  official  report,  "were 
very  quick,  sharp  and  malignant." 

It  must  be  remembered  in  reading  these  reports, 
that  the  accused  were  not  allowed  any  counsel, 
either  at  the  preliminary  examinations,  or  on  the 
trials;  that  the  apparent  sufferings  of  the  children 
were  very  great,  producing  almost  a  frenzied  state 
of  feeling  in  the  crowd  who  looked  on;  and  that 
they  themselves  were  often  as  much  puzzled  as 
their  accusers,  to  account  for  what  was  taking 
place  before  their  eyes. 

In  the  examination  of  Sarah  Osburn,  we  have 


50  Dulcibel. 

similar  questions  and  similar  answers.  In  addi 
tion,  however,  three  witnesses  alleged  that  she  had 
said  that  very  morning,  that  she  was  "more  like 
to  be  bewitched  herself."  Mr.  Hathorne  asked 
why  she  said  that.  She  answered  that  either  she 
saw  at  one  time,  or  dreamed  that  she  saw,  a 
thing  like  an  Indian,  all  black,  which  did  pinch 
her  in  the  neck,  and  pulled  her  by  the  back  part  of 
the  head  to  the  door  of  the  house.  And  there 
was  also  a  lying  spirit." 

"What  lying  spirit  was  this  ?"  "It  was  a  voice 
that  I  thought  I  heard." 

"What  did  it  say  to  you  ?"  "That  I  should 
go  no  more  to  meeting;  but  I  said  I  would,  and 
did  go  the  next  Sabbath  day." 

"Were    you    ever    tempted    further  ?"     "No." 

"Why  did  you  yield  then  to  the  Devil,  not  to 
go  to  meeting  for  the  last  three  years  ?" 

"Alas!  I  have  been  sick  all  that  time,  and  not 
able  to  go." 

Then  Tituba  was  brought  in.  Tituba  was  in 
the  "circle"  or  an  attendant  and  inspirer  of  the 
"circle"  from  the  first;  and  had  marvelous  things 
to  tell.  How  it  was  that  the  "children"  turned 
against  her  and  accused  her,  I  do  not  know;  but 
probably  she  had  practised  so  much  upon  them 


Examination  of  Reputed  Witches.  5 1 

in    various   ways,   that   she    really   was   guilty   of 
trying  to  do  the  things  she  was  charged  with. 

"Tituba,  why  do  you  hurt  these  children  ?" 
"  Tituba  does  not  hurt  'em." 

"Who  does  hurt  them  then  ?"  "The  debbil, 
for  all  I  knows/ 

"Did  you  ever  see  the  Devil  ?"  Tituba  gave 
a  low  laugh.  "Of  course  I've  seen  the  debbil. 
The  debbil  came  an'  said,  'Serb  me,  Tituba.' 
But  I  would  not  hurt  the  child'en." 

"Who  else  have  you  seen  ?"  "Four  women. 
Goody  Osburn  and  Sarah  Good,  and  two  other 
women.  Dey  all  hurt  de  child'en." 

"How  does  the  Devil  appear  to  you  ?"  "Some 
times  he  is  like  a  dog,  and  sometimes  like  a  hog. 
The  black  dog  always  goes  with  a  yellow  bird." 

"Has  the  Devil  any  other  shapes  ?"  "Yes,  he 
sometimes  comes  as  a  red  cat,  and  then  a  black  cat." 

"And  they  all  tell  you  to  hurt  the  children  ?" 
"Yes,  but  I  said  I  would  not." 

"Did  you  not  pinch  Elizabeth  Hubbard  this 
morning  ?"  "The  black  man  brought  me  to 
her,  and  made  me  pinch  her." 

"Why  did  you  go  to  Thomas  Putnam's  last 
night  and  hurt  his  daughter  Ann  ?"  "He  made 
me  go." 


52  Dulcibel. 

"How  did  you  go  ?"  "We  rode  on  sticks; 
we  soon  got  there." 

"Has  Sarah  Good  any  familiar  ?"  "Yes,  a 
yeller  bird.  It  sucks  her  between  her  ringers. 
And  Sarah  Osburn  has  a  thing  with  a  head  like 
a  woman,  and  it  has  two  wings." 

("Abigail  Williams,  who  lives  with  her  uncle, 
the  Rev.  Master  Parris,  here  testified  that  she 
did  see  the  same  creature,  and  it  turned  into 
the  shape  of  Goody  Osburn.") 

"Tituba  further  said  that  she  had  also  seen  a 
hairy  animal  with  Goody  Osburn,  that  had  only 
two  legs,  and  walked  like  a  man.  And  that  she 
saw  Sarah  Good,  last  Saturday,  set  a  wolf  upon 
Elizabeth  Hubbard. 

("The  friends  of  Elizabeth  Hubbard  here 
said  that  she  did  complain  of  being  torn  by  a 
wolf  on  that  day.") 

Tituba  being  asked  further  to  describe  her 
ride  to  Thomas  Putnam's,  for  the  purpose  of 
tormenting  his  daughter  Ann,  said  that  she  rode 
upon  a  stick  or  pole,  and  Sarah  Good  and  Sarah 
Osburn  behind  her,  all  taking  hold  of  one  another. 
Did  not  know  how  it  was  done,  for  she  saw  no 
trees  nor  path,  but  was  presently  there." 

These  examinations  were  continued  for  several 


Examination  of  Reputed  Witches.  53 

clays,  each  of  the  accused  being  brought  at  various 
times  before  the  magistrates,  who  seem  to  have 
taken  great  interest  in  the  absurd  stories  with 
which  the  "afflicted  children"  and  Tituba  regaled 
them.  Finally,  all  three  of  the  accused  were 
committed  to  Boston  jail,  there  to  await  their 
trial  for  practising  witchcraft;  being  heavily 
ironed,  as,  being  witches,  it  was  supposed  to  be 
very  difficult  to  keep  them  from  escaping;  and  as 
their  ability  to  torment  people  with  their  spectres, 
was  considered  lessened  in  proportion  to  the 
weight  and  tightness  of  the  chains  with  which 
they  were  fettered.  It  is  not  to  be  wondered  at, 
that  under  these  inflictions,  at  the  end  of  two 
months,  the  invalid,  Sarah  Osburn,  died.  Tituba, 
however,  lay  in  jail  until,  finally,  at  the  expiration 
of  a  year  and  a  month,  she  was  sold  in  payment 
of  her  jail  fees.  One  account  saying  that  her 
owner,  the  Rev.  Master  Parris,  refused  to  pay 
her  jail  fees,  unless  she  would  still  adhere  to 
what  she  had  testified  on  her  examination,  instead 
of  alleging  that  he  whipped  and  otherwise  abused 
her,  to  make  her  confess  that  she  was  a  witch  ? 


CHAPTER  IX. 

One   Hundred   and   Fifty  More   Alleged 
Witches. 

All  this  was  bad  enough,  but  it  was  but  the 
beginning  of  trouble.  Tituba  had  spoken  of  two 
other  women,  but  had  given  no  names.  The 
"afflicted  children"  were  still  afflicted,  and  grow 
ing  worse,  instead  of  better.  The  Rev.  Master 
Noyes  of  Salem  town,  the  Rev.  Master  Parris 
of  Salem  village,  Sergeant  Thomas  Putnam,  and 
his  wife, — which  last  also  was  becoming  bewitched, 
and  had  many  old  enmities — and  many  other 
influential  people  and  church  members,  were 
growing  more  excited,  and  vindictive  against 
the  troubles  of  their  peace,  with  every  passing 
day. 

"Who  are  they  that  still  torment  you  in  this 
horrible  manner  ?"  was  the  question  asked  of  the 
children  and  young  women,  and  they  had  their 
answers  ready. 

There  had  been  an  old  quarrel  between  the 
Endicotts  and  the  Nurses,  a  family  which  owned 
the  Bishop  Farm,  about  the  eastern  boundary 
of  said  farm.  There  had  been  the  quarrel  about 

54 


One  Hundred  and  Fifty  Witches.  55 

who  should  be  minister,  in  which  the  Nurses  had 
sided  with  the  determined  opponents  of  Mistress 
Ann  Putnam's  reverend  brother-in-law.  The 
Nurses  and  other  families  were  staunch  opposers 
of  Master  Parris's  claim  to  ownership  of  the 
Parsonage  and  its  grounds.  And  it  was  not  to  be 
wondered  at,  that  the  accusations  should  be 
made  against  opponents  rather  than  against 
friends. 

Besides,  there  were  those  who  had  very  little 
faith  in  the  children  themselves,  and  had  taken 
a  kind  of  stand  against  them;  and  these  too,  were 
in  a  dangerous  position. 

"Who  torments  you  now  ?"  "The  answer  was 
ready:  Martha  Corey,  and  Rebecca  Nurse,  and 
Bridget  Bishop,  and  so  on;  the  charges  being 
made  now  against  the  members,  often  the  heads, 
of  the  most  reputable  families  in  Salem  town 
and  village  and  the  surrounding  neighborhoods. 
Before  the  coming  of  the  winter  snows  probably 
one  hundred  and  fifty  persons  were  in  prison  at 
Salem  and  Ipswich  and  Boston  and  Cambridge. 
Two-thirds  of  these  were  women;  many  of  them 
were  aged  and  venerable  men  and  women  of  the 
highest  reputation  for  behavior  and  piety.  Yet, 
they  were  bound  with  chains,  and  exposed  to  all 


56  Dulcibel. 

the  hardships  that  attended  incarceration  in 
small  and  badly  constructed  prisons. 

A  special  court  composed  of  the  leading  judges 
in  the  province  being  appointed  by  the  Governor 
for  the  trial  of  these  accused  persons,  a  mass  of 
what  would  be  now  styled  "utter  nonsense"  was 
brought  against  them.  No  wonder  that  the  offi 
cial  record  of  this  co-called  court  of  justice  is  now 
nowhere  to  be  found.  The  partial  accounts  that 
have  come  down  to  us  are  sufficient  to  brand  its 
proceeding  with  everlasting  infamy.  Let  us  recur 
to  the  charges  against  some  of  these  persons: 

The  Rev.  Cotton  Mather,  speaking  of  the  trial 
of  Bridget  Bishop,  says:  "There  was  one  strange 
thing  with  which  the  Court  was  newly  entertained. 
As  this  woman  was  passing  by  the  meeting-house, 
she  gave  a  look  towards  the  house;  and  imme 
diately  a  demon,  invisibly  entering  the  house, 
tore  down  a  part  of  it;  so  that,  though  there  was 
no  person  to  be  seen  there,  yet  the  people,  at  the 
noise,  running  in,  found  a  board,  which  was 
strongly  fastened  with  several  nails,  transported 
into  another  quarter  of  the  house." 

A  court  of  very  ignorant  men  would  be  "enter 
tained"  now  with  such  a  story,  in  a  very  different 
sense  from  that  in  which  the  Rev.  Cotton  Mather 


One  Hundred  and  Fifty  Witches.  57 

used  the  word.  The  Court  of  1692,  doubtless 
swallowed  the  story  whole,  for  it  was  no  more 
absurd  than  the  bulk  of  the  evidence  upon  which 
they  condemned  the  reputed  witches. 

One  of  the  charges  against  the  Rev.  Master 
Burroughs,  who  had  himself  been  a  minister  for 
a  short  time  in  the  village,  was,  that  though  a 
small,  slender  man,  he  was  a  giant  in  strength. 
Several  persons  witnessed  that  "he  had  held  out 
a  gun  of  seven  foot  barrel  with  one  hand;  and  had 
carried  a  barrel  full  of  cider  from  a  canoe  to  the 
shore."  Burroughs  said  that  an  Indian  present 
at  the  time  did  the  same,  but  the  answer  was 
ready.  "That  was  the  black  man,  or  the  Devil, 
wTho  looks  like  an  Indian." 

Another  charge  against  Master  Burroughs  was, 
that  he  went  on  a  certain  occasion  between  two 
places  in  a  shorter  time  than  was  possible,  if  the 
Devil  had  not  assisted  him.  Both  Increase 
Mather,  the  father,  and  his  son  Cotton,  two  of  the 
most  prominent  and  influential  of  the  Boston 
ministers,  said  that  the  testimony  as  to  Mr.  Bur 
roughs'  giant  strength  was  alone  sufficient  right 
fully  to  convict  him.  It  is  not  improbable  that 
the  real  animus  of  the  feeling  against  Master 
Burroughs  was  the  belief  that  he  was  not  sound 


58  Dulcibel. 

in  the  faith;  for  Master  Cotton  Mather,  after  his 
execution,  declared  to  the  people  that  he  was  "no 
ordained  minister,"  and  called  their  attention  to 
the  fact  that  Satan  often  appeared  as  an  angel 
of  light. 


CHAPTER  X. 
Bridget  Bishop  Condemned  to  Die. 

Salem,  the  habitation  of  peace,  had  become, 
by  this  time  a  pandemonium.  The  "afflicted 
children"  were  making  accusations  in  every  direc 
tion,  and  Mistress  Ann  Putnam,  and  many 
others,  were  imitating  their  example. 

To  doubt  was  to  be  accused;  but  very  few 
managed  to  keep  their  heads  sufficiently  in  the 
whirlwind  of  excitement,  even  to  be  able  to  doubt. 
With  the  exception  of  Joseph  Putnam,  and  his 
visitor,  Ellis  Raymond,  there  were  very  few,  if 
any,  open  and  outspoken  doubters,  and  indignant 
censurers  of  the  whole  affair.  Dulcibel  Burton 
also,  though  in  a  gentler  and  less  emphatic  way, 
sided  naturally  with  them,  but,  although  she  was 
much  less  violent  in  her  condemnation,  she  pro 
voked  even  more  anger  from  the  orthodox  be 
lievers  in  the  delusion. 

For  Joseph  Putnam,  as  belonging  to  one  of  the 
most  influential  and  wealthy  families  in  Salem, 
seemed  to  have  some  right  to  have  an  opinion. 
And  Master  Raymond  was  visiting  at  his  house, 
and  naturally  would  be  influenced  by  him. 

59 


60  Dulcibel. 

Besides,  he  was  only  a  stranger  at  the  best;  and 
therefore,  not  entirely  responsible  to  them  for 
his  views.  But  Dulcibel  was  a  woman,  and  it 
was  outrageous  that  she,  at  her  years,  should  set 
up  her  crude  opinions  against  the  authority  of  the 
ministers  and  the  elders. 

Besides,  Joseph  Putnam  was  known  to  be  a 
determined  and  even  rather  desperate  young  man 
when  his  passions  were  aroused,  as  they  seldom 
were  though,  save  in  some  just  cause;  and  he  had 
let  it  be  known  that  it  would  be  worth  any  per 
son's  life  to  attempt  to  arrest  him.  It  was  almost 
the  universal  habit  of  that  day,  to  wyear  the  belt 
and  sword;  and  Messrs.  Putnam  and  Raymond 
went  thus  constantly  armed.  Master  Putnam 
also  kept  two  horses  constantly  saddled  in  his 
stable,  day  and  night,  to  escape  with  if  necessary, 
into  the  forest,  through  which  they  might  make 
their  way  to  New  York.  For  the  people  of  that 
province,  who  did  not  admire  their  Puritan 
neighbors  very  much,  received  all  such  fugitives 
gladly,  and  gave  them  full  protection. 

As  for  Master  Raymond,  although  he  saw  that 
his  position  was  becoming  dangerous,  he  deter 
mined  to  remain,  notwithstanding  the  period 
which  he  had  fixed  for  his  departure  had  long 


Bridget  Bishop  Condemned.      61 

before  arrived.  His  avowed  reason  given  to 
Joseph  Putnam,  was  that  he  was  resolved  to  see 
the  crazy  affair  through.  His  avowed  reason, 
which  Master  Putnam  perfectly  understood,  was 
to  prosecute  his  suit  to  Dulcibel,  and  see  her 
safely  through  the  dangerous  excitement  also. 

"They  have  condemned  Bridget  Bishop  to 
death,"  said  Master  Putnam,  coming  into  the 
house  one  morning  from  a  conversation  with  a 
neighbor. 

"I  supposed  they  would,"  replied  Master 
Raymond.  "But  how  nobly  she  bore  herself 
against  such  a  mass  of  stupid  and  senseless  testi 
mony.  Did  you  know  her  ?" 

"I  have  often  stopped  at  her  Inn.  A  fine, 
free-spoken  woman;  a  little  bold  in  her  manners, 
but  nothing  wrong  about  her." 

"Did  you  ever  hear  such  nonsense  as  that  about 
her  tearing  down  a  part  of  the  meeting-house 
simply  by  looking  at  it  ?  And  yet  there  sat  the 
best  lawyers  in  the  colony  on  the  bench  as  her 
judges,  and  swallowed  it  all  down  as  if  it  had 
been  gospel." 

"And  then  those  other  stones  of  her  appearing 
in  people's  bed-rooms,  and  vanishing  away  sud 
denly;  and  of  her  being  responsible  for  the  illness 


62  Dulcibel. 

and  death  of  her  neighbors'  children;  what  could 
be  more  absurd  ?" 

"And  of  the  finding  of  puppets,  made  of  rags 
and  hogs'  bristles,  in  the  walls  and  crevices  of  her 
cellar!  Really,  it  would  be  utterly  contemptible 
if  it  were  not  so  horrible." 

"Yes,  she  is  to  be  executed  on  Gallows  Hill; 
and  next  week!  I  can  scarcely  believe  it,  Master 
Raymond.  If  I  could  muster  a  score  or  two  of 
other  stout  fellows,  I  would  carry  her  off  from 
the  very  foot  of  the  gallows." 

"Oh,  the  frenzy  has  only  begun,  my  friend," 
replied  Raymond.  "You  know  whose  trial  comes 
on  next  ?" 

"How  any  one  can  say  a  word  against  Mistress 
Nurse — that  lovely  and  venerable  woman— 
passeth  my  comprehension,"  said  Joseph  Putnam's 
young  wife,  who  had  been  a  listener  to  the  conver 
sation,  while  engaged  in  some  household  duties. 

"My  sister-in-law,  Ann  Putnam,  seems  to  have 
a  spite  against  that  woman.  I  went  to  see  her 
yesterday,  and  she  almost  foams  at  the  mouth 
while  talking  of  her." 

"The  examination  of  Mistress  Nurse  before 
the  magistrate  comes  off  to-day.  Shall  we  not 
attend  it  ?" 


Bridget  Bishop  Condemned.      63 

"Of  course,  but  be  careful  of  thy  language, 
Friend  Raymond.  Do  not  let  thy  indignation 
run  away  with  thy  discretion." 

"Raymond  laughed  outright,  as  did  young 
Mistress  Putnam.  "This  advice  from  you, 
Master  Joseph!  who  art  such  a  very  model  of 
prudence  and  cold-bloodedness!  If  thou  wilt 
be  only  half  as  cautious  and  discreet  as  I  am, 
we  shall  give  no  offence  even  to  the  craziest  of 
them." 


CHAPTER  XL 
Examination  of  Rebecca  Nurse. 

When  they  arrived  at  the  village,  the  examina 
tion  was  in  progress.  Mistress  Rebecca  Nurse, 
the  mother  of  a  large  family;  aged,  venerable,  and 
bending  now  a  little  under  the  weight  of  years, 
was  standing  as  a  culprit  before  the  magistrates, 
who  doubtless  had  often  met  her  in  the  social 
gatherings  of  the  neighborhood. 

She  was  guarded  by  two  constables,  she  who 
needed  no  guarding.  Around,  and  as  near  her  as 
they  were  allowed  to  stand,  stood  her  husband  and 
her  grown-up  sons  and  daughters. 

One  of  the  strangest  features  of  the  time,  as  it 
strikes  the  reader  of  this  day,  was  the  peaceful 
submission  to  the  lawful  authorities  practised 
by  the  husbands  and  fathers,  and  grown-up  sons 
and  brothers  of  the  women  accused.  Reaching 
as  the  list  of  alleged  witches  did  in  a  short  time, 
to  between  one  hundred  and  fifty  and  two  hundred 
persons — nearly  the  whole  of  them  members  of 
the  most  respectable  families — it  is  wonderful 
that  a  determined  stand  in  their  behalf  was  not  the 
result.  One  hundred  resolute  men,  resolved  to 

64 


Examination  of  Rebecca  Nurse.    65 

sacrifice  their  lives  if  need  be,  would  have  put 
a  stop  to  the  whole  matter.  And  if  there  had  been 
even  twenty  men  in  Salem,  like  Joseph  Putnam, 
the  thing  no  doubt  wrould  have  been  done. 

And  in  the  opinion  of  the  present  writer,  such 
a  course  would  have  been  far  more  worthy  of 
praise,  than  the  slavish  submission  to  such  out 
rages  as  were  perpetrated  under  the  names  of  law, 
justice  and  religion.  The  sons  of  these  men, 
eighty  years  later,  showed  at  Lexington  and  Con 
cord  and  Bunker  Hill,  that  when  Law  and  Peace 
become  but  grotesque  masks,  under  which  are 
hidden  the  faces  of  legalized  injustice  and  tyranny, 
then  the  time  has  come  for  armed  revolt  and 
organized  resistance. 

But  such  was  the  darkness  and  bigotry  of  the 
day  in  respect  to  religious  belief,  that  the  great 
majority  of  the  people  were  mentally  paralyzed 
by  the  accepted  faith,  so  that  they  were  not  able 
in  many  respects  to  distinguish  light  from  darkness. 
When  an  estimable  man  or  woman  was  accused  of 
being  a  witch,  for  the  term  was  indifferently 
applied  to  both  sexes,  even  their  own  married 
partners,  their  own  children,  had  a  more  or  less 
strong  conviction  that  it  might  possibly  be  so. 
And  this  made  the  peculiar  horror  of  it. 
5 


66  Dulcibel. 

In  at  least  fifty  cases,  the  accused  confessed 
that  they  were  witches,  and  sometimes  accused 
others  in  turn.  This  was  owing  generally  to  the 
influence  of  their  relatives,  who  implored  them  to 
confess;  for  to  confess  was  invariably  to  be  ac 
quitted,  or  to  be  let  off  with  simple  imprisonment. 

But  to  return  to  poor  Rebecca  Nurse,  haled 
without  warning  from  her  prosperous,  happy 
home  at  the  Bishop  Farm,  carried  to  jail,  loaded 
with  chains,  and  now  brought  up  for  the  tragic 
farce  of  a  judicial  examination.  In  this  case  also, 
the  account  given  in  my  friend's  little  book  is 
amply  confirmed  by  other  records.  Mistress 
Ann  Putnam,  Abigail  Williams  (the  minister's 
niece),  Elizabeth  Hubbard  and  Mary  Walcott, 
were  the  accusers. 

"Abigail  Williams,  have  you  been  hurt  by  this 
woman  ?"  said  magistrate  Hathorne. 

"Yes,"  replied  Abigail.  And  then  Mistress 
Ann  Putnam  fell  to  the  floor  in  a  fit;  crying  out 
between  her  violent  spasms,  that  it  was  Rebecca 
Nurse  who  was  then  afflicting  her. 

"What  do  you  say  to  those  charges?"  The 
accused  replied:  "I  can  say  before  the  eternal 
Father  that  I  am  innocent  of  any  such  wicked 
doings,  and  God  will  clear  my  innocence." 


Examination  of  Rebecca  Nurse.     67 

Then  a  man  named  Henry  Kenney  rose,  and 
said  that  Mistress  Nurse  frequently  tormented 
him  also;  and  that  even  since  he  had  been  there 
that  day,  he  had  been  seized  twice  with  an  amazed 
condition. 

"The  villain!"  muttered  Joseph  Putnam  to 
those  around  him,  "if  I  had  him  left  to  me  for  a 
time,  I  would  have  him  in  an  amazed  condition!" 

"You  are  an  unbeliever,  and  everybody  knows 
it,  Master  Putnam, "  said  one  near  him.  "  But  we 
who  are  of  the  godly,  know  that  Satan  goes  about 
like  a  roaring  lion,  seeking  whom  he  may  devour." 

"Quiet  there!"  said  one  of  the  magistrates. 

Edward  Putnam  (another  of  the  brothers)  then 
gave  in  his  evidence,  saying  that  he  had  seen 
Mistress  Ann  Putnam,  and  the  other  accusers, 
grievously  tormented  again  and  again,  and  declar 
ing  that  Rebecca  Nurse  was  the  person  who  did  it. 

"These  are  serious  charges,  Mistress  Nurse," 
said  Squire  Hathorne,  "are  they  true?"  "I 
have  told  you  that  they  are  false.  Why,  I  was 
confined  to  my  sick  bed  at  the  time  it  is  said  they 
occurred." 

"  But  did  you  not  send  your  spectre  to  torment 
them  ?"  "How  could  I  ?  And  I  would  not  if  I 
could." 


68  Dulcibel. 

Here  Mistress  Putnam  was  taken  with  another 
fit.  Worse  than  the  other,  which  greatly  affected 
the  whole  people.  Coming  to  a  little,  she  cried 
out:  "Did  you  not  bring  the  black  man  with  you  ? 
Did  you  not  tell  me  to  tempt  God  and  die  ?  Did 
you  not  eat  and  drink  the  red  blood  to  your  own 
damnation  ?" 

These  words  were  shrieked  out  so  wildly,  that 
all  the  people  were  greatly  agitated  and  mur 
mured  against  such  wickedness.  But  the  prisoner 
releasing  her  hand  for  a  moment  cried  out,  "Oh, 
Lord,  help  me!" 

"Hold  her  hands,  some  cried  then,  for  the 
afflicted  persons  seemed  to  be  grievously  tormented 
by  her.  But  her  hands  being  again  firmly  held 
by  the  guards,  they  seemed  comforted. 

Then  the  worthy  magistrate  Hathorne  said, 
"Do  you  not  see  that  when  your  hands  are  loosed 
these  people  are  afflicted?"  'The  Lord  knows," 
she  answered,  "that  I  have  not  hurt  them." 

"You  would  do  well  if  you  are  guilty  to  confess 
it;  and  give  glory  to  God."  "I  have  nothing 
to  confess.  I  am  as  innocent  as  an  unborn  child." 

"Is  it  not  strange  that  when  you  are  examined, 
these  persons  should  be  afflicted  thus?"  "Yes, 
it  is  very  strange." 


The  Lord  knows  that  I  haven't  hurt  them  " 


Examination  of  Rebecca  Nurse.    69 

"Do  you  believe  these  afflicted  persons  are 
bewitched  ?"  "I  surely  do  think  they  must  be." 

Weary  of  the  proceedings  and  the  excitement, 
the  aged  lady  allowed  her  head  to  droop  on  one 
side.  Instantly  the  heads  of  the  accusers  were 
bent  the  same  way. 

Abigail  Williams  cried  out,  "Set  up  Mistress 
Nurse's  neck,  our  necks  will  all  be  broken."  The 
jailers  held  up  the  prisoner's  neck;  and  the  necks 
of  all  the  accused  were  instantly  made  straight 
again.  This  was  considered  a  marvelous  proof; 
and  produced  a  wonderful  effect  upon  the  magis 
trates  and  the  people.  Mistress  Ann  Putnam 
went  into  such  great  bodily  agony  at  this  time, 
charging  it  all  upon  the  prisoner,  that  the  magis 
trates  gave  her  husband  permission  to  carry  her 
out  of  the  house.  Only  then,  when  no  longer  in 
the  sight  of  the  prisoner,  could  she  regain  her 
peace. 

"Mistress  Nurse  was  then  recommitted  to  the 
jail  in  Salem,  in  order  to  further  examination." 

"What  deviltry  is  coming  next?"  said  Joseph 
Putnam  to  his  friend. 

Many  of  those  around  glared  on  the  speaker, 
but  he  was  well  known  to  all  of  them  as  a  daring— 
and  when  angered  even  a  desperate  young  man— 


70  Dulcibel. 

and  they  allowed  him  to  say  with  impunity,  freely 
what  no  one  else  could  even  have  whispered. 
His  son  in  after  years,  looked  not  into  the  wolf's 
eyes  in  the  dark  den  with  a  sterner  gaze,  than  he 
looked  into  the  superstitious  and  vengeful  wolves' 
eyes  around  him. 

"To  think  that  a  godly  old  woman  like  Mistress 
Nurse,  should  be  tormented  by  this  Devil's 
brood  of  witches,  led  on  by  that  she-devil  sister 
of  mine,  Ann  Putnam." 

Many  around  heard  him,  but  none  cared  to 
meet  the  young  man's  fierce  eyes,  as  they  blazed 
upon  those  that  were  nearest. 

"Do  control  yourself,  my  friend,"  whispered 
Master  Raymond.  Preserve  yourself  for  a  time 
when  your  indignation  may  do  some  good." 

Then  the  constable  brought  in  a  little  girl  of 
about  five  years  of  age,  Dorcas  Good,  a  daughter 
of  Sarah  Good,  who  had  been  arrested  on  the 
complaint  of  Edward  and  Jonathan  Putnam. 

The  evidence  against  this  little  girl  of  five  was 
overwhelming.  Mistress  Ann  Putnam,  Mercy 
Lewis,  and  Mary  Walcott  were  the  accusers — 
charging  the  innocent  and  pretty  little  creature 
with  biting,  pinching  and  choking  them — the 
little  girl  smiling  while  they  were  giving  their 


Examination  of  Rebecca  Nurse.  71 

testimony.  She  was  not  old  enough  to  under 
stand  what  it  was  all  about,  and  that  even  her 
life  was  in  danger  from  these  demoniacs.  They 
absolutely  pretended  to  show  the  marks  of  her 
little  teeth  in  their  arms.  Then,  after  going 
through  the  usual  convulsions,  they  shrieked 
out  that  she  was  running  pins  into  them;  and  the 
pins  were  found  on  examination  sticking  into 
their  bodies. 

The  little  girl  was,  as  I  have  said,  at  first  inclined 
to  laugh  at  all  the  curious  proceedings,  and  the 
spasms  and  contortions  of  the  witnesses,  but  at 
last,  seeing  everyone  so  solemn  and  looking  so 
wickedly  at  her,  she  began  to  cry;  until  Joseph 
Putnam  went  up  to  her  and  gave  her  some  sweet 
cake  to  eat,  which  he  had  provided  for  his  own 
luncheon  and  then,  looking  into  his  kind  face, 
she  began  to  smile  again. 

The  Magistrates  frowned  upon  Master  Putnam, 
as  he  did  this,  but  he  paid  no  attention  to  their 
frowns.  And  when  the  little  girl  was  ordered 
back  to  jail  as  a  prisoner  to  await  her  trial,  he 
bent  down  and  kissed  her  before  she  was  led 
away  by  the  constable. 

This  was  the  end  of  the  proceedings  for  that 
day  and  the  crowd  began  to  disperse. 


72  Dulcibel. 

"This  is  a  pretty  day's  work  you  have  made 
of  it,  sister-in-law,"  said  Joseph  Putnam,  striding 
up  to  his  brother's  wife.  "You  say  that  you  are 
tormented  by  many  devils,  and  I  believe  it.  Now 
I  want  to  give  you,  and  all  the  Devil's  brood 
around  you,  fair  warning  that  if  you  dare  to 
touch  with  your  foul  lies  any  one  belonging  to  my 
house  including  the  stranger  within  my  gates, 
you  shall  answer  it  with  your  lives,  in  spite  of  all 
your  judges  and  prisons." 

So  saying,  he  glared  at  his  two  brothers,  who 
made  no  reply,  and  walked  out  of  the  meeting 
house  in  which  this  ungodly  business  had  been 
transacted. 

"Oh,  it  is  only  Joe,"  said  Thomas  Putnam; 
"he  always  was  the  spoiled  child  of  the  family." 

His  wife  said  nothing,  but  soon  a  hard,  bitter 
smile  took  the  place  of  the  angry  flush  that  the 
young  man's  words  had  produced.  Dulcibel 
Burton  was  not  one  of  his  household,  nor  within 
his  gates. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

Burn  Me,  or  Hang  Me,  I  Will  Stand  in  the 
Truth  of  Christ. 

After  the  trial  and  conviction  of  Bridget  Bishop, 
the  Special  Court  of  seven  Judges— a  majority 
of  whom  were  leading  citizens  of  Boston,  the 
Deputy  Governor  of  the  Province,  acting  as 
Chief-Justice — decided  to  take  further  counsel 
in  this  wonderful  and  important  matter  of  the 
fathers  of  the  church.  So  the  Court  took  a  recess, 
while  it  consulted  the  ministers  of  Boston  and 
other  places,  respecting  its  duty  in  the  case.  The 
response  of  the  ministers,  while  urging  in  general 
terms  the  importance  of  caution  and  circum 
spection,  recommended  the  earnest  and  vigorous 
carrying  on  of  the  war  against  Satan  and  his 
disciples. 

Among  the  new  victims,  one  of  the  most  striking 
cases  was  that  of  George  Jacobs  and  his  grand 
daughter  Margaret.  The  former  was  a  venerable- 
looking  man,  very  tall,  with  long,  thin  white  hair, 
who  was  compelled  by  his  infirmities  to  support 
himself  in  walking  with  two  staffs.  Sarah  Church 
ill,  a  chief  witness,  against  him,  was  a  servant 

73 


74  Dulcibel. 

in  his  family;  and  probably  was  feeding  in  this 
way  some  old  grudge. 

"You  accuse  me  of  being  a  wizard,"  said  the 
old  man  on  his  examination;  "you  might  as  well 
charge  me  with  being  a  buzzard." 

They  asked  the  accused  to  repeat  the  Lord's 
prayer.  And  Master  Parris,  the  minister,  who 
acted  as  a  reporter,  said  "he  could  not  repeat  it 
right  after  many  trials." 

"Well,"  said  the  brave  old  man  finally,  after 
they  had  badgered  him  with  all  kinds  of  non 
sensical  questions,  "Well,  burn  me,  or  hang  me, 
I  will  stand  in  the  truth  of  Christ!" 

As  his  manly  bearing  was  evidently  producing 
an  effect,  the  "afflicted  girls"  came  out  in  full 
force  the  next  day  at  the  adjourned  session. 
When  he  wras  brought  in,  they  fell  at  once  into 
the  most  grievous  fits  and  screechings. 

"Who  hurts  you  ?"  was  asked,  after  they  had 
recovered  somewhat. 

"This  man,"  said  Abigail  Williams,  going  off 
into  another  fit. 

"This  is  the  man,"  averred  Ann  Putnam;  "he 
hurts  me,  and  wants  me  to  write  in  the  red  book; 
and  promises  if  I  will  do  so,  to  make  me  as  well 
as  his  grand-daughter." 


Burn  Me,  or  Hang  Me.  75 

"Yes,  this  is  the  man,"  cried  Mercy  Lewis, 
"he  almost  kills  me." 

"It  is  the  one  who  used  to  come  to  me.  I  know 
him  by  his  two  staffs,  with  one  of  which  he  used 
to  beat  the  life  out  of  me,"  said  Mary  Walcott. 

Mercy  Lewis  for  her  part  walked  towards  him; 
but  as  soon  as  she  got  near,  fell  into  great  fits. 

Then  Ann  Putnam  and  Abigail  Williams  "had 
each  of  them  a  pin  stuck  in  their  hands  and  they 
said  it  was  done  by  this  old  Jacobs." 

The  Magistrates  took  all  this  wicked  acting  in 
sober  earnest;  and  asked  the  prisoner,  "what 
he  had  to  say  to  it  ?" 

"Only  that  it  is  false,"  he  replied.  "I  know 
no  more  of  it  than  the  child  that  was  born  last 
night." 

But  the  honest  old  man's  denial  went  of  course, 
for  nothing.  Neither  did  Sarah  Ingersoll's 
deposition  made  a  short  time  afterwards;  in  which 
she  testified  that  "Sarah  Churchill  came  to  her 
after  giving  her  evidence,  crying  and  wringing 
her  hands,  and  saying  that  she  has  belied  herself 
and  others  in  saying  she  had  set  her  hand  to  the 
Devil's  book."  She  said  that  "they  had  threat 
ened  her  that  if  she  did  not  say  it,  they  would  put 
her  in  the  dungeon  along  with  Master  Burroughs." 


76  Dulcibel. 

And  that,  "if  she  told  Master  Noyes,  the  minister, 
but  once  that  she  had  set  her  hand  to  the  book, 
he  would  believe  her;  but  if  she  told  him  the 
truth  a  hundred  times,  he  would  not  believe  her." 

The  truth  no  doubt  is  that  Master  Noyes,  Mas 
ter  Parris,  Cotton  Mather,  and  all  the  other 
ministers,  with  one  or  two  exceptions,  having 
committed  themselves  fully  to  the  prosecution  of 
the  witches,  would  listen  to  nothing  that  tended 
to  prove  that  the  principal  witnesses  were  deliber 
ate  and  malicious  liars;  and  that,  so  far  as  the 
other  witnesses  were  concerned,  they  were  grossly 
superstitious  and  deluded  persons. 

No  charity  that  is  fairly  clear-sighted,  can  cover 
over  the  evidence  of  the  "afflicted  circle"  with  the 
mantle  of  self-delusion.  Self-delusion  does  not 
conceal  pins,  stick  them  into  its  own  body,  and 
charge  the  accused  person  with  doing  it,  knowing 
that  the  accusation  may  be  the  prisoner's  death. 
This  was  done  repeatedly  by  Mistress  Ann  Put 
nam,  and  her  Satanic  brood  of  false  accusers. 

Sarah  Churchill  was  no  wrorse  than  the  others, 
judging  by  her  remorse  after  she  had  helped  to 
murder  with  her  lying  tongue  her  venerable  mas 
ter  and  we  have  in  the  deposition  of  Sarah  In- 
gersoll,  undoubted  proof  that  she  testified  falsely. 


Burn  Me,  or  Hang  Me.  77 

When  Ann  Putnam,  Mercy  Lewis  and  Mary 
Walcott  all  united  in  charging  little  Dorcas  Good- 
five  years  old! — with  biting,  pinching  and  almost 
choking  them;  "showing  the  marks  of  her  little 
teeth  on  their  arms,  and  the  pins  sticking  in  their 
bodies,  where  they  had  averred  she  was  piercing 
them" — can  any  sane,  clear-minded  man  or 
woman  suppose  it  was  an  innocent  delusion,  and 
not  a  piece  of  horribly  wicked  lying  ? 

When  in  open  court  some  of  the  "afflicted" 
came  out  of  their  fits  with  "their  wrists  bound 
together,  by  invisible  means,"  with  "a  real  cord" 
so  that  "it  could  hardly  be  taken  ofF  without 
cutting,"  was  there  not  only  deception,  but  unde 
niable  collusion  of  two  or  more  in  deception  ? 

When  an  iron  spindle  was  used  by  an  alleged 
"spectre"  to  torture  a  "sufferer, "  the  said  iron 
spindle  not  being  discernible  by  the  by-standers 
until  it  became  visible  by  being  snatched  by  the 
sufferer  from  the  spectre's  hand,  was  there  any 
self-delusion  there  ?  Was  it  not  merely  wicked 
imposture  and  cunning  knavery  ? 

I  defy  any  person  possessing  in  the  least  a 
judicial  and  accurate  mind,  to  investigate  the 
records  of  this  witchcraft  delusion  without  coming 
to  the  conclusion  that  the  "afflicted  girls,"  who 


78  Dulcibel. 

led  off  in  this  matter,  and  were  the  principal 
witnesses,  continually  testified  to  what  they  knew 
to  be  utterly  false.  There  is  no  possible  excuse 
for  them  on  the  ground  of  "delusion."  However 
much  we  may  recoil  from  the  sad  belief  that  they 
testified  in  the  large  majority  of  cases  to  what  they 
knew  to  be  entirely  false,  the  facts  of  the  case 
compel  us  with  an  irresistible  force  to  such  an 
unhappy  conclusion.  When  we  are  positively 
certain  that  a  witness,  in  a  case  of  life  or  death, 
has  testified  falsely  against  the  prisoner  again  and 
again,  is  it  possible  that  we  can  give  him  or  her 
the  benefit  of  even  a  doubt  as  to  the  animus  of  the 
testimony  ?  The  falsehoods  I  have  referred  to 
were  cases  of  palpable,  unmistakable  and  delib 
erate  lying.  And  the  only  escape  from  consider 
ing  it  wilful  lying,  is  to  make  a  supposition  not 
much  in  accord  with  the  temper  of  the  present 
times,  that,  having  tampered  with  evil  spirits, 
and  invoked  the  Devil  continually  during  the 
long  evenings  of  the  preceding  winter,  the  prince 
of  powers  of  the  air  had  at  last  come  at  their  call, 
and  ordered  a  legion  of  his  creatures  to  take 
possession  of  the  minds  and  bodies  that  they  had 
so  freely  offered  to  him.  For  certainly  there  is  no 
way  of  explaining  the  conduct  of  the  "afflicted 


Burn  Me,  or  Hang  Me.  79 

circle"  of  girls  and  women,  than  by  supposing 
either  that  they  were  guilty  of  the  most  enormous 
wickedness,  or  else  that  they  were  "possessed  with 
devils." 


CHAPTER  XIII. 
Dulcibel  in  Danger. 

The  terrible  excitement  of  these  days  was  enough 
to  drive  the  more  excitable  portion  of  the  inhabi 
tants  of  Salem  almost  crazy.  The  work  of  the 
house  and  of  the  farm  was  neglected;  a  large  num 
ber  of  suspected  persons  and  their  relatives  were 
sunk  in  the  deepest  grief,  the  families  of  some  of 
the  imprisoned  knew  not  where  to  get  their  daily 
food;  for  their  property  was  generally  taken 
possession  of  by  the  officers  of  the  law  at  the  time 
of  the  arrest,  the  accused  being  considered  guilty 
until  they  were  proved  to  be  innocent.  Upon 
conviction  of  a  capital  offence  the  property  of  the 
condemned  was  attainted,  being  confiscated  by  the 
state;  and  the  constables  took  possession  at  once, 
in  order  that  it  might  not  be  spirited  away. 

And  no  one  outside  of  the  circle  of  the  accusers 
knew  whose  turn  might  come  next.  Neither  sex, 
nor  age,  nor  high  character,  as  we  have  seen,  was 
a  bar  against  the  malice,  or  the  wantonness  of  the 
"afflicted."  The  man  or  woman  who  had  lived 
a  righteous  life  for  over  eighty  years,  the  little  child 

who  wondered  what  it  all  meant,  the  maiden  whose 

80 


Dulcibei  in  Danger.  81 

only  fault  might  be  to  have  a  jealous  rival,  all 
were  alike  in  danger. 

Especially  were  those  in  peril,  however,  who 
dared  to  take  the  side  of  any  of  the  accused,  and 
express  even  the  faintest  disbelief  in  the  justice 
of  the  legal  proceedings,  or  the  honesty  of  the 
witnesses.  These  would  be  surely  singled  out  for 
punishment.  Again  and  again,  had  this  been  done 
until  the  voices  of  all  but  the  very  boldest 
were  effectually  silenced.  Those  arrested  now, 
as  a  general  thing,  would  confess  at  once  to  the 
truthfulness  of  all  the  charges  brought  against 
them,  and  even  invent  still  more  improbable  stories 
of  their  own,  as  this  mollified  the  accusers,  and 
they  often  would  be  let  off  with  a  solemn  repri 
mand  by  the  magistrates. 

Joseph  Putnam  and  his  male  servants  wrent 
constantly  armed;  and  two  horses  were  kept 
saddled  day  and  night,  in  his  stable.  He  never 
went  to  the  village  unaccompanied;  and  made  no 
secret  of  his  determination  to  resist  the  arrest 
of  himself  or,  as  he  had  phrased  it,  "  any  one  within 
his  gates,"  to  the  last  drop  of  his  blood. 

Living  with  the  Goodman  Buckley  who  had 
leased  the  Burton  property,  was  a  hired  man 
named  Antipas  Newton.  He  was  a  good  worker 
6 


82  Dulcibel. 

though  now  getting  old,  and  had  in  one  sense 
been  leased  with  the  place  by  Dulcibel's  father. 

Antipas's  history  had  been  a  sad  one.  Adopted 
when  left  an  orphan  by  a  benevolent  farmer  who 
had  no  children,  he  managed  by  diligence  and 
strict  economy  to  acquire  by  the  age  of  thirty, 
quite  a  comfortable  property  of  his  own.  Then 
the  old  couple  that  he  called  Father  and  Mother 
became  converts  to  Quakerism.  Fined  and  im 
prisoned,  deprived  of  their  property,  and,  after 
the  expiration  of  their  term  of  imprisonment,  or 
dered  to  leave  the  colony,  they  had  been  "har 
bored"  by  the  man  for  whom  they  had  done  so 
much  in  his  early  years. 

Antipas  was  a  person  of  limited  intelligence,  but 
of  strong  affections  and  wide  sympathies.  Again 
and  again,  he  harbored  these  persecuted  ones, 
who  despite  their  whippings  and  banishment 
would  persist  in  returning  to  Salem.  Finally, 
Antipas  himself  was  heavily  fined,  and  his  prop 
erty  sold  to  pay  the  fines.  His  wife  had  died 
early,  but  a  young  daughter  who  kept  his  house 
in  order,  and  who  had  failed  in  her  attendance  at 
the  church  which  was  engaged  in  persecuting  her 
father,  was  also  fined  heavily.  As  her  father's 
property  was  all  gone,  and  she  had  no  money  of 


Dulcibel  in  Danger.  83 

her  own,  she  could  not  pay  the  fine,  and  was  put 
in  prison,  to  be  sent  to  Barbadoes,  and  sold  as  a 
slave,  that  thus  the  fine  might  be  collected.  But 
the  anguish,  and  the  exposure  of  her  prison,  were 
too  much  for  the  young  girl;  and  she  died  before 
means  of  transportation  could  be  found. 

As  a  result  of  these  persecutions,  Antipas  became 
demented.  As  his  insanity  grew  evident,  the 
prosecutions  ceased;  but  he  was  still  in  danger  of 
starvation,  so  few  would  give  him  employment, 
both  on  account  of  his  impaired  mind,  and  of  the 
odium  which  attached  to  any  friend  of  the  ab 
horred  Quakers. 

Captain  Burton,  DulcibePs  father,  came  to  the 
village  at  this  time.  He  had  been  one  of  the  sea- 
captains  who  had  indignantly  refused  to  take  the 
Southwick  children,  or  any  other  of  the  Salem 
children,  to  Barbadoes;  and  he  pitied  the  poor 
insane  man,  and  gave  him  employment.  Not 
only  did  he  do  this,  but,  as  we  have  said,  made 
it  an  article  of  the  lease  of  his  property,  that  the 
Buckleys  should  also  keep  Antipas  as  a  farm  ser 
vant. 

Antipas,  to  the  general  surprise  of  the  villagers 
had  proved  to  be  an  excellent  servant,  notwith 
standing  his  insanity.  Only  on  training  days  and 


84  Dulcibel. 

other  periods  of  excitement,  did  his  insanity 
obtrude  itself.  At  all  other  times  he  seemed  to  be 
a  cheerful,  simple-hearted,  and  very  capable  and 
industrious  "hand." 

To  Dulcibel,  as  was  natural,  Antipas  always 
manifested  the  greatest  devotion.  Her  little  black 
mare  was  always  groomed  to  perfection,  he  never 
being  satisfied  until  he  took  a  white  linen  hand 
kerchief  that  he  kept  for  the  purpose,  and,  passing 
it  over  the  mare's  shining  coat,  saw  that  no  stain 
or  loose  black  hair  remained  on  it. 

"You  think  that  Mistress  Dulcibel  is  an  angel, 
do  you  not?"  said  one  of  the  female  servants  to 
him  about  this  time,  a  little  scornfully. 

"No,  I  know  what  she  is,"  he  replied.  "Shall 
I  tell  you — but  if  I  do,  you  will  not  believe" — and 
he  looked  at  the  girl  a  little  doubtfully. 

"Oh,  yes,  I  will,"  said  the  girl. 

"Come  here  then  and  I  will  whisper  it  to  you. 
I  heard  the  minister  read  about  her  once,  she  is 
the  woman  that  is  'clothed  with  the  sun  and  has 
the  moon  under  her  feet,  and  upon  her  head  a 
crown  of  twelve  stars.'  : 

"That  is  wicked,  Antipas.  If  Master  Parris 
heard  that  you  said  things  like  that,  he  would  have 
you  whipped  and  put  in  the  stocks." 


Dulcibel  in  Danger.  85 


"Master  Parris  ?  you  mean  Beelzebub!  I 
know  Beelzebub  when  I  see  him."  And  Antipas 
gave  one  of  his  unnatural,  insane  laughs,  which 
were  getting  very  frequent  of  late. 

For  the  general  excitement  was  proving  too 
much  for  Antipas.  He  stopped  frequently  in  his 
work,  and  muttered  to  himself;  and  then  laughed 
wildly,  or  shed  tears.  He  talked  about  the  witches 
and  the  Devil  and  evil  spirits,  and  the  strange 
things  that  he  saw  at  night,  in  the  insane  fashion 
that  characterized  the  "afflicted  children." 

As  for  Dulcibel  in  these  times,  she  kept  pretty 
much  to  herself,  going  out  very  little.  As  she 
could  not  sympathize  with  the  general  gossip  of  the 
neighborhood,  she  remained  at  home,  and  con 
sequently  had  very  few  visitors.  Joseph  Putnam 
called  whenever  he  came  to  the  village,  which, 
as  I  have  stated,  was  but  seldom;  and  Ellis  Ray 
mond  came  every  few  days. 

Yes,  it  was  a  courtship,  I  suppose;  but  one  of  a 
very  grave  and  serious  character.  The  conver 
sation  generally  turned  upon  the  exciting  events 
continually  occurring,  some  new  arrest,  some  new 
confession,  some  new  and  outrageously  absurd 
charges. 

Master   Raymond's   hand,   if  anyone   accosted 


86  Dulcibel. 

him  suddenly,  instinctively  sought  the  hilt  of  his 
rapier.  He  was  better  skilled  in  the  use  of  that 
weapon  than  was  usual,  and  had  no  fear  that  he 
should  be  unable  to  escape  from  the  constables, 
if  not  taken  at  a  disadvantage.  Still,  as  that  would 
compel  him  to  fly  into  the  woods,  and  as  it  would 
separate  him  from  Dulcibel,  he  had  been  very 
careful  not  to  express  in  public  his  abhorrence  of 
all  the  recent  proceedings.  I  am  afraid  that  he 
was  guilty  of  considerable  dissimulation,  even 
paying  his  court  to  some  of  the  "afflicted"  maidens 
when  he  had  the  opportunity,  with  soft  words  and 
handsome  presents;  and  trying  in  this  \vay  to 
enlist  a  party  in  his  behalf,  in  case  he  or  any  of  his 
friends  should  need  supporters. 

Joseph  Putnam  censured  him  one  day  for  his 
double  dealing,  which  was  a  thing  not  only  out 
of  Master  Joseph's  line,  but  one  which  his  frank 
and  outspoken  nature  rendered  it  very  difficult  for 
him  to  practise.  But  Raymond  with  his  refer 
ences  to  King  David's  behavior  towards  Achish, 
King  of  Gath,  and  to  certain  other  scripture, 
especially  Paul's  being  "  all  things  to  all  men  that 
he  might  save  all,"  was  rather  too  weighty  for 
Joseph,  whose  forte  was  sensible  assertion  rather 
than  ingenious  argument.  And  so  Master  Ray- 


Dulcibel  in  Danger.  87 

mond  persevered  in  his  course,  feeling  no  more 
compunction  in  deceiving  the  Salemites,  as  he 
said  to  himself,  than  he  would  in  deceiving  and 
cheating  a  pack  of  savage  wolves,  who  were 
themselves  arrayed  in  sheep's  clothing. 

Jethro  Sands  had  of  late  shown  a  disposition 
to  renew  his  attentions  to  Dulcibel;  but,  after 
two  or  three  visits,  in  the  last  of  which  he  had  given 
the  maiden  the  desired  opportunity,  she  had 
plainly  intimated  to  him  that  the  old  state  of  affairs 
between  them  could  never  be  restored. 

"I  know  the  reason  too,"  said  Jethro,  angrily 
"it  is  all  owing  to  that  English  popinjay,  who 
rides  about  as  if  we  colonists  were  not  fit  to  dust 
his  pretty  coat  for  him." 

"He  is  a  gentleman,  and  a  friend  of  mine," 
replied  Dulcibel  warmly. 

"Why  do  you  not  say  a  lover  of  yours,  at  once  ?" 

"You  have  no  right  to  talk  to  me  in  that  manner. 
I  will  not  endure  it." 

"You  will  not — how  will  you  help  it  ?"  He  was 
now  thoroughly  angry,  and  all  his  native  coarse 
ness  came  to  the  surface. 

"I  will  show  you,"  said  Dulcibel,  the  Norse 
blood  of  her  father  glowing  in  her  face.  "Good 
evening,  Sir!"  and  she  left  the  room. 


88  Dulcibel. 

Jethro  had  not  expected  such  a  quiet,  but 
effective  answer.  He  sat  twirling  his  thumbs, 
for  awhile,  hoping  that  she  would  return.  But 
realizing  at  last  that  she  would  not,  he  took  his 
departure  in  a  towering  anger.  Of  course  this 
was  the  last  of  his  visits.  But  Dulcibel  had  made 
a  deadly  enemy. 

It  was  unfortunate,  for  the  maiden  already  had 
many  who  disliked  her  among  the  young  people 
of  the  village.  She  was  a  superior  person  for 
one  thing,  and  "gave  herself  airs,"  as  some  said. 
To  be  superior,  without  having  wealth  or  an 
acknowledged  high  social  position,  is  always  to  be 
envied,  and  often  to  be  hated.  Then  again, 
Dulcibel  dressed  with  more  richness  and  variety 
of  costume  than  was  usual  in  the  Puritan  villages. 
This  set  many  of  the  women,  both  young  and  old, 
against  her.  Her  scarlet  bodice,  especially,  was 
a  favorite  theme  for  animadversion;  some  even 
going  so  far  as  to  call  her  ironically  "the  scarlet 
woman."  It  is  curious  how  unpopular  a  per 
fectly  amiable,  sweet-tempered  and  sweet-tongued 
maiden  may  often  become,  especially  with  her 
own  sex,  because  of  their  innate  feeling  that  she 
is  not,  in  spite  of  all  her  courteous  endeavors, 
really  one  of  them.  It  is  an  evil  day  for  the  swan 


Dulcibel  in  Danger.  89 

when  she  finds  herself  the  only  swan  among  a 
large  flock  of  geese. 

Dulcibel's  antecedents  also  were  not  as  ortho 
dox  as  they  might  be.  Her  mother,  it  was  granted, 
was  "pious,"  and  of  a  "godly"  connection;  but 
her  father,  as  he  had  himself  once  said,  "had  no 
religion  to  speak  of."  He  had  further  replied  to 
the  question,  asked  him  when  he  first  came  to 
Salem,  as  to  whether  he  was  "a  professor  of 
religion,"  that  he  was  "only  a  sea  captain,  and 
had  no  other  profession."  And  a  certain  freedom 
of  thought  characterized  Dulcibel,  that  she  could 
scarcely  have  derived  from  her  pious  mother.  In 
fact,  it  was  something  like  the  freedom  of  the 
winds  and  of  the  clouds,  blowing  where  they 
liked;  and  had  been  probably  caught  up  by 
her  father  in  his  many  voyages  over  the  untram- 
meled  seas. 

At  first  Dulcibel  had  been  rather  impressed 
by  the  sermons  of  Master  Parris  and  Master 
Noyes  and  the  other  ministers,  to  the  effect  that 
Satan  was  making  a  deadly  assault  upon  the 
"saints,"  in  revenge  for  their  interference  with 
his  hitherto  undisputed  domination  of  the  new 
world.  But  the  longer  she  thought  about  it,  the 
more  she  \vas  inclined  to  adopt  Joseph  Putnam's 


go  Dulcibel. 

theory,  that  his  sister-in-law  and  niece  and  the 
other  ''afflicted"  persons  were  possessed  by  devils. 

She  inclined  to  this  view  in  preference  even  to 
what  she  knew  was  Ellis  Raymond's  real  con 
viction,  that  they  were  a  set  of  hysterical  and 
vicious  girls  and  women  who  had  rendered  them 
selves  half-insane  by  tampering  for  a  whole 
winter  with  their  nervous  and  spiritual  organiza 
tions;  until  they  could  scarcely  now  distinguish 
the  true  from  the  untrue,  the  real  from  the  unreal, 
good  from  evil,  or  light  from  darkness. 

"They  have  become  reprobates  and  given 
over  to  an  evil  mind,"  said  Master  Raymond  to 
her  one  day;  clothing  his  thought  as  nearly  as  he 
could  in  scriptural  language,  in  order  to  commend 
it  to  her. 

"Yes,  this  seems  to  be  a  reasonable  explanation 
of  their  wicked  conduct,"  replied  Dulcibel.  "But 
I  think  after  all,  that  it  amounts  to  about  the 
same  thing  as  Joseph  Putnam  says,  only  that  his 
is  the  stronger  and  more  satisfactory  statement." 

And  thinking  of  it,  Master  Raymond  had  to 
come  to  the  same  conclusion.  His  own  view 
and  that  of  his  friends  were  about  the  same,  only 
they  had  expressed  themselves  in  different  phrases. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 
Bad  News. 

The  blow  fell  at  last,  and  where  they  might 
have  expected  it.  As  Joseph  Putnam  said  after 
wards,  "Why  did  I  not  bring  them  out  to  my 
house  ?  They  would  not  have  dared  to  take 
them  from  under  my  roof,  and  they  could  not 
have  done  it  if  they  had  dared." 

One  of  his  servants  had  been  sent  to  the  village 

o 

on  an  errand;  he  had  not  performed  his  errand, 
but  he  had  hurried  back  at  once  with  the  news. 
Dulcibel  Burton  had  been  arrested  the  previous 
evening,  about  nine  o'clock,  on  the  charge  of 
being  a  witch.  Antipas  Newton  had  also  been 
arrested.  Both  had  been  taken  to  prison,  and 
put  in  irons. 

A  desperate,  determined  look  came  into  the 
faces  of  the  two  men  as  they  gathered  every  word 
the  servant  had  to  tell.  Young  Mistress  Putnam 
burst  into  tears.  But  the  men  dashed  a  tear  or 
two  from  their  eyes,  and  began  to  collect  their 
thoughts.  It  was  not  weeping  but  stern  daring, 
that  would  be  needed  before  this  thing  was 
through. 

91 


92  Dulcibel. 

The  prisoners  were  to  be  brought  up  that 
afternoon  for  examination.  "I  have  rny  two  men, 
who  will  follow  wherever  I  lead  them,"  said 
Master  Putnam.  "That  makes  four  of  us. 
Shall  we  carry  her  off  from  under  their  very  eyes  ?" 
And  his  face  glowed — the  fighting  instinct  of 
his  race  was  very  strong  within  him. 

"It  might  not  succeed,  those  men  are  neither 
cowards  nor  babies,"  answered  his  guest.  "Be 
sides,  it  would  lead  probably  to  your  banish 
ment  and  the  confiscation  of  your  property.  No, 
we  must  have  the  wisdom  of  the  serpent,  as  well 
as  the  boldness  of  the  lion." 

"The  result  of  the  examination  may  be  favor 
able,  so  young  and  good  and  beautiful  as  she  is," 
said  Mistress  Putnam. 

"They  lap  their  tongues  in  the  blood  of  lambs, 
and  say  it  is  sweet  as  honey,"  replied  her  husband, 
shaking  his  head.  "No,  they  will  show  no  mercy; 
but  we  must  try  to  match  them." 

"Yes,  and  with  as  little  hazard  and  cost  to  you, 
my  noble  friend,  as  possible,"  said  Master  Ray 
mond.  "Let  me  act,  and  take  all  the  risk.  They 
cannot  get  hold  of  my  property;  and  I  would  just 
as  lief  live  in  New  York  or  Philadelphia  or  Eng 
land  as  among  this  brood  of  crazy  vipers." 


Bad  News.  93 

"That  is  wise  counsel,  Joseph,"  said  his  wife. 

"Oh,  I  suppose  it  is,"  he  answered  emphati 
cally.  "But  I  hate  wise  counsel." 

"Still,  my  good  friend,  you  must  admit  that,  as 
Dulcibel  betrothed  herself  to  me  only  two  days 
ago,  I  am  the  one  to  take  the  greatest  risk  in  this 
matter." 

"Indeed!"  said  Mistress  Putnam.  "I  knew  it 
would  be  so;  and  I  told  Joseph  it  would  be, 
only  yesterday." 

"I  give  you  joy  of  such  a  mistress!"  cried  Master 
Putnam,  grasping  his  friend's  hand.  "Yes, 
I  grant  now  your  right  of  precedence  in  this 
danger,  and  I  will  follow  your  lead — yes,  to  the 
death!" 

"I  hold  you  to  that,"  said  Master  Raymond. 
Remember  you  are  pledged  to  follow  my  lead. 
Now,  whatever  I  do,  do  not  wonder,  much  less 
express  any  wonder.  For  this  is  war,  and  I  have 
a  right  to  meet  craft  with  craft,  and  guile  with 
guile.  Depend  upon  it,  I  will  save  her,  or  perish 
with  her." 


CHAPTER  XV. 
The  Arrest  of  Dulcibel  and  Antipas. 

The  arrest  of  Dulcibel  had  been  entirely  unex 
pected  to  herself  and  the  Buckleys.  Dulcibel 
indeed  had  wondered,  when  walking  through  the 
village  in  the  morning,  that  several  persons  she 
knew  had  seemed  to  avoid  meeting  her.  But  she 
was  too  full  of  happiness  in  her  recent  betrothal 
to  take  umbrage  or  alarm  at  such  an  unimportant 
circumstance.  A  few  months  now,  and  Salem, 
she  hoped,  would  see  her  no  more  forever.  She 
knew,  for  Master  Raymond  had  told  her,  that 
there  were  plenty  of  places  in  the  world  where 
life  was  reasonably  gay  and  sunny  and  hopeful; 
not  like  this  dull  valley  of  the  shadow  of  death 
in  which  she  was  now  living.  Raymond's  plan 
was  to  get  married;  sell  her  property,  which 
might  take  a  few  months,  more  or  less;  and  then 
sail  for  England,  to  introduce  his  charming  wife 
to  a  large  circle  of  relatives. 

Dulcibel  had  been  reading  a  book  that  Raymond 
had  brought  to  her — a  volume  of  Shakespeare's 
plays — a  prohibited  book  among  the  Puritan 
fathers,  and  which  would  have  been  made  the 

94 


Arrest  of  Dulcibel  and  Antipas.     95 


text  for  one  of  Master  Parris's  most  denunciatory 
sermons  if  he  had  known  that  it  was  in  the  village. 
Having  finished  "Macbeth"  she  laid  the  book 
down  upon  the  table  and  began  playing  with  her 
canary,  holding  it  to  her  cheek,  putting  its  bill 
to  her  lips,  and  otherwise  fondling  it.  While 
she  was  thus  engaged,  she  began  to  have  the 
uncomfortable  feeling  which  sensitive  persons 
often  have  when  some  one  is  watching  them;  and 
turning  involuntarily  to  the  window  which  looked 
out  on  a  garden  at  the  side  of  the  house,  she  saw  in 
the  dim  light  that  dark  faces,  with  curious  eyes, 
seemed  nearly  to  fill  up  the  lower  half  of  the  case 
ment.  In  great  surprise,  and  with  a  sudden 
tremor,  she  rose  quickly  from  the  seat;  and,  as 
she  did  so,  the  weird  faces  and  glistening  eyes 
disappeared,  and  two  constables,  attended  by  a 
crowd  of  the  villagers,  entered  the  room.  One  of 
these  walked  at  once  to  her  side,  and  seizing  her  by 
the  arm  said,  "I  arrest  you,  Dulcibel  Burton,  by 
the  authority  of  Magistrate  Hathorne.  Come 
along  with  me." 

"What  does  all  this  mean,  friend  Herrick?" 
said  Goodman  Buckley,  coming  into  the  room. 

"It  means,"  said  the  constable,  "that  this 
young  woman  is  no  better  than  the  other  witches, 


96  Dulcibel. 

who  have  been  joining  hand  with  Satan  against 
the  peace  and  dignity  of  this  province."  Then, 
turning  to  Dame  Buckley,  "Get  her  a  shawl  and 
bonnet,  goodwife;  if  you  do  not  wish  her  to  go 
out  unprotected  in  the  night's  cold." 

"  A  witch — what  nonsense ! "  said  Dame  Buckley. 

"Nonsense,  is  it?"  said  the  other  constable. 
"What  is  this  ?"  taking  up  the  book  from  the 
table.  "A  book  of  plays!  profane  and  wicked 
stage  plays,  in  Salem  village!"  You  had  better 
hold  your  peace,  goodwife;  or  you  may  go  to 
prison  yourself  for  harboring  such  licentious 
devices  of  Satan  in  your  house. " 

Goodwife  Buckley  started  and  grew  pale.  A 
book  of  \vicked  stage-plays  under  her  roof!  She 
could  make  no  reply,  but  went  off  without  speak 
ing  to  pack  up  a  bundle  of  the  accused  maiden's 
clothing. 

"See  here!"  continued  the  constable,  opening 
the  book,  "All  about  witches,  as  I  thought!  'He- 
cat  and  three  other  witches! 

'Round  about  the  cauldron  go: 
In  the  poisoned  entrails  throw.' 

It  is  horrible!" 

"Put  the  accursed  book  in  the  fire,  Master 
Taunton,"  said  Herrick. 


Arrest  of  Dulcibel  and  Antipas. 


97 


There  was  a  small  fire  burning  on  the  hearth, 
for  the  evening  was  a  little  cool,  and  the  other 
constable  threw  the  book  amidst  the  live  coals; 
but  was  surprised  to  see  that  it  did  not  flame  up 
rapidly. 

"That  is  witchcraft,  if  there  ever  was  witch 
craft!"  said  Jethro  Sands,  who  was  at  the  front 
of  the  crowd.  "See,  it  will  not  burn.  The  Devil 
looks  out  for  his  own." 

"Yes,  we  shall  have  to  stay  here  all  night,  if 
we  wait  for  that  book  to  burn  up,"  said  Master 
Herrick.  "Now  if  it  had  been  a  Bible,  or  a 
Psalm-book,  it  would  have  been  consumed  by 
this  time." 

"My  father  told  me,"  said  one  of  the  crowd, 
that  they  were  once  six  weeks  trying  to  burn  up 
some  witch's  book  in  Holland,  and  then  had  to 
tear  each  leaf  separately  before  they  could  burn  it. " 

"Where  is  the  yellow  bird — her  familiar — that 
she  was  sending  on  some  witch's  errand  when  we 
were  watching  at  the  window  ?"  said  another  of  the 
crowd. 

"Oh,  it's  not  likely  you  will  find  the  yellow 
bird,"  replied  Herrick.  "It  is  halfway  down  to 
hell  by  this  time." 

"No,  there  it  is!"  cried  Jethro  Sands,  pointing 
7 


98  Dulcibel. 

to  a  ledge  over  the  door,  where  the  canary-bird 
had  flown  in  its  fright. 

"Kill  it!"  kill  the  familiar!  Kill  the  devil's 
imp!"  came  in  various  voices,  the  angry  tones 
being  not  without  an  inflection  of  fear. 

Several  pulled  out  their  rapiers.  Jethro  was  the 
quickest.  He  made  a  desperate  lunge  at  the  little 
creature,  and  impaled  it  on  the  point  of  his  weapon. 

Dulcibel  shook  off  the  hold  of  the  constable  and 
sprang  forward.  "Oh,  my  pretty  Cherry,"  she 
cried,  taking  the  dead  bird  from  the  point  of  the 
rapier.  "You  wretch!  to  harm  an  innocent  little 
creature  like  that!"  and  she  smoothed  the  feathers 
of  the  bird  and  kissed  its  little  head. 

"Take  it  from  her!  kill  the  witch!"  cried  some 
rude  women  in  the  outer  circles  of  the  crowd. 

"Yes,  mistress,  this  is  more  than  good  Christian 
people  can  be  expected  to  endure,"  said  con 
stable  Herrick,  sternly,  snatching  the  bird  from 
her  and  tossing  it  into  the  fire.  "Let  us  see  if 
the  imp  will  burn  any  quicker  than  the  book." 

"Ah,  she  forgot  to  charm  it,"  said  the  other 
constable,  as  the  little  feathers  blazed  up  in  a  blue 
flame. 

"Yes,  but  note  the  color,"  said  Jethro.  "N<» 
Christian  bird  ever  blazed  in  that  color." 


Arrest  of  Dulcibel  and  Antipas.    99 

"Neither  they  ever  did!"  echoed  another,  and 
they  looked  into  each  other's  faces  and  shook  their 
heads  solemnly. 

At  this  moment  Antipas  Newton  was  led  to  the 
door  of  the  room,  in  the  custody  of  another  officer. 
The  old  man  seemed  to  be  taking  the  whole  pro 
ceeding  very  quietly  and  patiently,  as  the  Quakers 
always  did.  But  the  moment  he  saw  Dulcibel 
weeping,  with  Herrick's  grasp  upon  her  arm,  his 
whole  demeanor  changed. 

"What  devil's  mischief  is  this?"  cried  the  de 
mented  man;  and  springing  like  an  enraged  lion 
upon  Master  Herrick,  he  dashed  him  against  the 
opposite  wall,  tore  his  constable's  staff  from  his 
hands  and  laying  the  staff  around  him  wildly  and 
ferociously  cleared  the  room  of  everybody  save 
Dulcibel  and  himself  in  less  time  than  I  have  taken 
to  tell  it. 

Jethro  stepped  forward  with  his  drawn  rapier 
to  cover  the  retreat  of  the  constables;  but  shouting, 
"the  sword  of  the  Lord  and  of  Gideon!"  the 
deranged  man,  with  the  stout  oaken  staff,  dashed 
the  rapier  from  Jethro's  hand,  and  administered 
to  him  a  sounding  whack  over  the  head,  which 
made  the  blood  come.  Then  he  picked  up  the 
rapier  and  throwing  the  staff  behind  him,  laughed 


ioo  Dulcibel. 

wildly  as  he  saw  the  crowd,  constable  and  all, 
tumbling  out  of  the  door  of  the  next  room  into 
the  front  garden  of  the  house  as  if  Satan  himself 
in  very  deed,  were  after  them. 

"I  will  teach  them  how  they  abuse  my  pretty 
little  Dulcibel,"  said  the  now  thoroughly  demented 
man,  laughing  grimly.  "Come  on,  ye  imps  of 
Satan,  and  I  will  toast  you  at  the  end  of  my  fork," 
he  cried,  flourishing  Jethro's  rapier,  whose  red 
point,  crimson  with  the  blood  of  the  canary-bird, 
seemed  to  act  upon  the  mind  of  the  old  man  as  a 
spark  of  fire  upon  tow. 

"Antipas,"  said  Dulcibel,  coming  forward  and 
gazing  sadly  into  the  eyes  of  her  faithful  follower, 
"is  it  not  written,  Tut  up  thy  sword;  for  he  that 
takes  the  sword  shall  perish  by  the  sword'  ?  Give 
me  the  weapon!" 

The  old  man  gazed  into  her  face,  at  first  won- 
deringly;  then,  with  the  instinct  of  old  reverence 
and  obedience,  he  handed  the  rapier  to  her, 
crossed  his  muscular  arms  over  his  broad  breast, 
bowed  his  grisly  head,  and  stood  submissively 
before  her. 

"You  can  return  now  safely,"  Dulcibel  called 
out  to  the  constables.  They  came  in,  at  first  a 
little  warily.  "He  is  insane;  but  the  spell  is  over 


Arrest  of  Dulcibel  and  Antipas.  101 

now  for  the  present.  But  treat  him  tenderly, 
I  pray  you.  When  he  is  in  one  of  these  fits,  he 
has  the  strength  of  ten  men." 

The  constables  could  not  help  being  impressed 
favorably  by  the  maiden's  conduct;  and  they 
treated  her  with  a  certain  respect  and  tenderness 
which  they  had  not  previously  shown,  until  they 
had  delivered  her,  and  the  afterwards  entirely 
humble  and  peaceful  Antipas,  to  the  keeper  of 
Salem  prison. 

But  the  crowd  said  to  one  another  as  they 
sought  their  houses:  "What  a  powerful  witch 
she  must  be,  to  calm  down  that  maniac  with  one 
word."  While  others  replied,  "But  he  is  pos 
sessed  with  a  devil;  and  she  does  it  because  her 
power  is  of  the  devil." 

They  did  not  remember  that  this  was  the  very 
course  of  reasoning  used  on  a  somewhat  similar 
occasion  against  the  Savior  himself  in  Galilee! 


CHAPTER  XVI. 
Dulcibel  in  Prison. 

In  the  previous  cases  of  alleged  witchcraft  to 
which  I  have  alluded,  the  details  given  in  my 
manuscript  volume  were  fully  corroborated,  even 
almost  to  the  minutest  particulars,  by  official 
records  now  in  existence.  But  in  what  I  have 
related,  and  am  about  to  relate,  relative  to 
Dulcibel  Burton,  I  shall  have  to  rely  entirely 
upon  the  manuscript  volume.  Still,  as  there  is 
nothing  there  averred  more  unreasonable  and 
absurd  than  what  is  found  in  the  existing  official 
records,  I  see  no  reason  to  doubt  the  entire  truth 
fulness  of  the  story.  In  fact,  it  would  be  difficult 
to  imagine  grosser  and  more  ridiculous  accusa 
tions  than  were  made  by  Mistress  Ann  Putnam 
against  that  venerable  and  truly  devout  and 
Christian  matron,  Rebecca  Nurse. 

When  Dulcibel  and  Antipas,  in  the  custody 
of  four  constables,  reached  the  Salem  jail,  it  was 
about  eleven  o'clock  at  night.  The  jailor, 
evidently  had  expected  them;  for  he  threw  open 
the  door  at  once.  He  was  a  stout,  strong-built 
man,  with  not  a  bad  countenance  for  a  jailer; 


Dulcibel  in  Prison.  103 

but  seemed  thoroughly  imbued  with  the  pre 
vailing  superstition,  judging  by  the  harsh  manner 
in  which  he  received  the  prisoners. 

"I've  got  two  strong  holes  for  these  imps  of 
Satan;  bring  'em  along!" 

The  jail  was  built  of  logs,  and  divided  inside 
into  a  number  of  small  rooms  or  cells.  In  each 
of  these  cells  was  a  narrow  bedstead  and  a  stone 
jug  and  slop  bucket.  Antipas  was  hustled  into 
one  cell,  and,  after  being  chained,  the  door  was 
bolted  upon  him.  Then  Dulcibel  was  taken 
into  another,  though  rather  larger  cell,  and  the 
jailor  said,  "Now  she  will  not  trouble  other 
people  for  a  while,  my  masters." 

"Are  you  not  going  to  put  irons  on  her,  Master 
Foster  ?"  said  Herrick. 

"Of  course  I  am.  But  I  must  get  heavier 
chains  than  those  to  hold  such  a  powerful  witch 
as  she  is.  Trust  her  to  me,  Master  Herrick. 
She'll  be  too  heavy  to  fly  about  on  her  broom 
sticks  by  the  time  I  have  done  with  her." 

Then  they  all  went  out  and  Dulcibel  heard  the 
heavy  bolt  shoot  into  its  socket,  and  the  voices 
dying  away  as  the  men  went  down  the  stairs. 

She  groped  her  way  to  the  bed  in  the  darkness, 
sat  down  upon  it  and  burst  into  tears.  It  was 


104  Dulcibel. 

like  a  change  from  Paradise  into  the  infernal 
regions.  A  few  hours  before  and  she  had  been 
musing  in  an  ecstasy  of  joy  over  her  betrothal, 
and  dreaming  bright  dreams  of  the  future,  such 
perhaps  as  only  a  maiden  can  dream  in  the 
rapture  of  her  first  love.  Now  she  was  sitting  in 
a  prison  cell,  accused  of  a  deadly  crime,  and  her 
life  and  good  reputation  in  the  most  imminent 
danger.  One  thing  alone  buoyed  her  up — the 
knowledge  that  her  lover  was  fully  aware  of 
her  innocence;  and  that  he  and  Joseph  Putnam 
would  do  all  that  they  could  do  in  her  behalf. 
But  then  the  sad  thought  came,  that  to  aid  her 
in  any  way  might  be  only  to  bring  upon  them 
selves  a  similar  accusation.  And  then,  with  a 
noble  woman's  spirit  of  self-sacrifice,  she  thought: 
"No,  let  them  not  be  brought  into  danger.  Better, 
far  better,  that  I  should  suffer  alone,  than  drag 
down  my  friends  with  me." 

Here  she  heard  the  noise  of  the  bolt  being 
withdrawn,  and  saw  the  dim  light  of  the  jailer's 
candle. 

As  the  jailer  entered  he  threw  down  some 
heavy  irons  in  the  corner  of  the  room.  Then, 
he  closed  the  door  behind  him,  and  came  up  to 


Dulcibel  in  Prison.  105 

the  unhappy  girl.  He  laid  his  hand  upon  her 
shoulder  and  said: 

"You  little  witch!" 

Something  in  the  tone  seemed  to  strike  upon 
the  maiden's  ear  as  if  it  were  not  unfamiliar  to 
her;  and  she  looked  up  hastily. 

"Do  you  not  remember  me,  little  Dulcy  ?  Why 
I  rocked  you  on  my  foot  in  the  old  Captain's 
house  in  Boston  many  a  day." 

"Is  it  not  uncle  Robie  ?"  said  the  girl.  She  had 
not  seen  him  since  she  was  four  years  old. 

The  jailer  smiled.  "Of  course  it  is,"  he 
replied,  "just  uncle  Robie.  The  old  captain 
never  went  to  sea  that  Robie  Foster  did  not  go 
as  first  mate.  And  a  blessed  day  it  was  when  I 
came  to  be  first  mate  of  this  jail-ship;  though  I 
never  thought  to  see  the  old  captain's  bonnie 
bird  among  my  boarders." 

"And  do  you  think  I  really  am  a  witch,  uncle 
Robie  ?" 

"Of  course  ye  are.  A  witch  of  the  worst  kind," 
replied  Robie,  with  a  chuckle.  "Now,  when  I 
come  in  here  to-morrow  morning  nae  doobt  I  will 
find  all  your  chains  off.  It  is  just  sae  with  pretty 
much  all  the  others.  I  cannot  keep  them  chained, 
try  my  best  and  prettiest." 


io6  Dulcibel. 

"And  Antipas  ?" 

"Oh,  he  will  just  be  like  all  the  rest  of  them, 
doobtless.  He  is  a  powerful  witch,  and  half  a 
Quaker,  besides." 

"But  do  you  really  believe  in  witches,  uncle 
Robie  ?" 

"What  do  these  deuced  Barebones  Puritans 
know  about  witches,  or  the  devil,  or  anything 
else  ?  There  is  only  one  true  church,  Mistress 
Dulcibel.  I  have  sa  mooch  respect  for  the 
clergy  as  any  man;  but  I  don't  take  my  sailing 
orders  from  a  set  of  sourfaced  old  pirates." 

Then,  leaving  her  a  candle  and  telling  her  to 
keep  up  a  stoot  heart,  the  jailer  left  the  cell;  and 
Dulcibel  heard  the  heavy  bolt  again  drawn  upon 
her,  with  a  much  lighter  heart,  than  before. 
Examining  the  bundle  of  clothes  that  Goodwife 
Buckley  had  made  up,  she  found  that  nothing 
essential  to  her  comfort  had  been  forgotten,  and 
she  soon  was  sleeping  as  peacefully  in  her  prison 
cell  as  if  she  were  in  her  own  pretty  little  chamber. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 
Dulcibel  before  the  Magistrates. 

The  next  afternoon  the  meeting-house  at  Salem 
village  was  crowded  to  its  utmost  capacity;  for 
Dulcibel  Burton  and  Antipas  Newton  were  to  be 
brought  before  the  worshipful  magistrates,  John 
Hathorne  and  Jonathan  Corwin.  These  worthies 
were  not  only  magistrates,  but  persons  of  great 
note  and  influence,  being  members  of  the  highest 
legislative  and  judicial  body  in  the  Province  of 
Massachusetts  Bay. 

Among  the  audience  were  Joseph  Putnam  and 
Ellis  Raymond;  the  former  looking  stern  and 
indignant,  the  latter  wearing  an  apparently  cheer 
ful  countenance,  genial  to  all  that  he  knew,  and 
they  were  many;  and  especially  courteous  and 
agreeable  to  Mistress  Ann  Putnam,  and  the 
"afflicted"  maidens.  It  was  evident  that  Master 
Raymond  was  determined  to  preserve  for  himself 
the  freedom  of  the  village,  if  complimentary  and 
pleasant  speeches  would  effect  it.  It  would  not 
do  to  be  arrested  or  banished,  now  that  Dulcibel 
was  in  prison. 

When  the  constable,  Joseph  Herrick,  brought 

107 


io8  Dulcibel. 

in  Dulcibel,  he  stated  that  having  made  "diligent 
search  for  images  and  such  like,"  they  had  found 
a  "yellow  bird,"  of  the  kind  that  witches  were 
known  to  affect;  a  wicked  book  of  stage-plays, 
which  seemed  to  be  about  witches,  especially  one 
called  "he-cat";  and  a  couple  of  rag  dolls  with 
pins  stuck  into  them. 

"Have  you  brought  them  ?"  said  Squire 
Hathorne. 

"We  killed  the  yellow  bird  and  threw  it  and  the 
wicked  book  into  the  fire." 

"You  should  not  have  done  that;  you  should 
have  produced  them  here." 

"We  can  get  the  book  yet;  for  it  was  lying  only 
partly  burned  near  the  back-log.  It  would  not 
burn,  all  we  could  do  to  it." 

"Of  course  not.  Watches'  books  never  burn," 
said  Squire  Hathorne. 

"Here  are  the  images,"  said  a  constable,  pro 
ducing  two  little  rag-babies,  that  Dulcibel  was 
making  for  a  neighbor's  children. 

The  crowd  looked  breathlessly  on  as  "these 
diabolical  instruments  of  torture"  were  placed 
upon  the  table  before  the  magistrates. 

"Dulcibel  Burton,  stand  up  and  look  upon 
your  accusers,"  said  Squire  Hathorne. 


Dulcibel  before  the  Magistrates.  109 

Dulcibel  had  sunk  upon  a  bench  while  the 
above  conversation  was  going  on — she  felt  over 
powered  by  the  curious  and  malignant  eyes  turned 
upon  her  from  all  parts  of  the  room.  Now  she 
rose  and  faced  the  audience,  glancing  around  to 
see  one  loved  face.  At  last  her  eyes  met  his;  he 
was  standing  erect,  even  proudly;  his  arms  crossed 
over  his  breast,  his  face  composed  and  firm,  his 
dark  eyes  glowing  and  determined.  He  dared  not 
utter  a  word,  but  he  spoke  to  her  from  the  inmost 
depths  of  his  soul:  "Be  firm,  be  courageous,  be 
resolute!" 

This  was  what  Raymond  meant  to  say;  and  this 
is  what  Dulcibel,  with  her  sensitive  and  impas 
sioned  nature,  understood  him  to  mean.  And 
from  that  moment  a  marked  change  came  over 
her  whole  appearance.  The  shrinking,  timid 
girl  of  a  moment  before  stood  up  serene  but  heroic, 
fearless  and  undaunted;  prepared  to  assert  the 
truth,  and  to  defy  all  the  malice  of  her  enemies,  if 
need  be,  to  the  martyr's  death. 

And  she  had  need  of  all  her  courage.  For, 
before  three  minutes  had  passed — Squire  Hathorne 
pausing  to  look  over  the  deposition  on  which  the 
arrest  had  been  made — Mistress  Ann  Putnam 
shrieked  out,  "Turn  her  head  away,  she  is  tor- 


no 


Dulcibel. 


menting  us!  See,  her  yellow-bird  is  whispering 
to  her!"  And  with  that,  she  and  her  little  daugh 
ter  Ann,  and  Abigail  Williams  and  Sarah  Church 
ill  and  Leah  Herrick  and  several  others,  flung 
themselves  down  on  the  floor  in  apparent  con 
vulsions. 

"Oh,  a  snake  is  stinging  me!"  cried  Leah 
Herrick. 

"Her  black  horse  is  trampling  on  my  breast!" 
groaned  Sarah  Churchill. 

"Make  her  look  away;  turn  her  head!"  cried 
several  in  the  crowd.  And  one  of  the  constables 
caught  Dulcibel  by  the  arm,  and  turned  her 
around  roughly. 

"This    is    horrible!"    cried   Thomas    Putnam— 
"and  so  young  and  fair-looking,  too!" 

"Ah,  they  are  the  worst  ones,  Master  Putnam," 
said  his  sympathetic  friend,  the  Rev.  Master  Parris. 

"She  looks  young  and  pretty,  but  she  may  really 
be  a  hundred  years  old,"  said  deacon  Snuffles. 

Quiet  at  last  being  restored,  Magistrate 
Hathorne  said: 

"Dulcibel  Burton,  why  do  you  torment  Mistress 
Putnam  and  these  others  in  this  grievous  fashion  ?" 

"I  do  not  torment  them,"  replied  Dulcibel 
calmly,  but  a  little  scornfully. 


Dulcibel  before  the  Magistrates. 


"Who  does  torment  them,  then  ?" 

"How  should  I  know — perhaps  Satan." 

"What  makes  you  suppose  that  Satan  torments 
them  ?" 

"Because  they  tell  lies." 

"Do  you  know  that  Satan  cannot  torment  these 
people  except  through  the  agency  of  other  human 
beings  ?" 

"No,  I  do  not." 

"Well,  he  cannot — our  wisest  ministers  are 
united  upon  that.  Is  it  not  so,  Master  Parris  ?" 

"That  is   God's  solemn  truth,"  was  the  reply 

"Who  is  it  that  torments  you,  Mistress  Putnam  ?" 
continued  Squire  Hathorne,  addressing  Mistress 
Ann  Putnam,  who  had  sent  so  many  already  to 
prison  and  on  the  way  to  death. 

Mistress  Putnam  was  angered  beyond  measure 
at  Dulcibel's  intimation  that  she  and  her  party 
were  instigated  and  tormented  directly  by  the 
devil.  And  yet  she  could  not,  if  she  would,  bear 
falser  witness  than  she  already  had  done  against 
Rebecca  Nurse  and  other  women  of  equally  good 
family  and  reputation.  But  at  this  appeal  of  the 
Magistrate,  she  flung  her  arms  into  the  air,  and 
spoke  with  the  vehemence  and  excitement  of  a 
half-crazy  woman. 


112 


Dulcibel. 


"It  is  she,  Dulcibel  Burton.  She  was  a  witch 
from  her  very  birth.  Her  father  sold  her  to 
Satan  before  she  was  born,  that  he  might  prosper 
in  houses  and  lands.  She  has  the  witch's  mark — 
a  snake — on  her  breast,  just  over  her  heart.  I 
know  it,  because  goodwife  Bartley,  the  midwife, 
told  me  so  three  years  ago  last  March.  Midwife 
Bartley  is  dead;  but  have  a  jury  of  women  examine 
her,  and  you  will  see  that  it  is  true." 

At  this,  as  all  thought  it,  horrible  charge,  a  cold 
thrill  ran  through  the  crowd.  They  all  had 
heard  of  witch-marks,  but  never  of  one  like  this— 
the  very  serpent,  perhaps,  which  had  deluded  Eve. 
Joseph  Putnam  smiled  disdainfully.  "A  set  of 
stupid,  superstitious  fools!"  he  muttered  through  his 
teeth.  "Half  the  De  Bellevilles  had  that  mark."* 

"I  will  have  that  looked  into,"  said  Squire 
Hathorne.  "In  what  shape  does  the  spectre 
come,  Mistress  Putnam  ?" 

"In  the  shape  of  a  yellow-bird.  She  whispers 
to  it  who  it  is  that  she  wants  tormented,  and  it 
comes  and  pecks  at  my  eyes." 

Here  she  screamed  out  wildly,  and  began  as  if 
defending  her  eyes  from  an  invisible  assailant. 

*"Most  part  of  this  noble  lineage  carried  upon  their  body  for  a 
natural  birth-mark,  from  their  mother's  womb,  a  snake." — North. 


Dulcibel  before  the  Magistrates.  113 

"It  is  coming  to  me  now,"  cried  Leah  Herrick, 
striking  out  fiercely.  "Oh,  do  drive  it  away!" 
shrieked  Sarah  Churchill,  "it  will  put  out  our 
eyes." 

There  was  a  scene  of  great  excitement,  several 
men  drawing  their  swords  and  pushing  and  slash 
ing  at  the  places  where  they  supposed  the  spectral 
bird  might  be. 

Leah  Herrick  said  the  spectre  that  hurt  her 
came  oftenest  in  the  shape  of  a  small  black  horse, 
like  that  which  Dulcibel  Burton  was  known  to 
keep  and  ride.  Everybody  supposed,  she  said, 
that  the  horse  was  itself  a  witch,  for  it  was  perfectly 
black,  with  not  a  white  hair  on  it,  and  nobody  could 
ride  it  but  its  mistress. 

Here  Sarah  Churchill  said  she  had  seen  Dulcibel 
Burton  riding  about  twelve  o'clock  one  night,  on 
her  black  horse,  to  a  witches'  meeting. 

Ann  Putnam,  the  child,  said  she  had  seen  the 
same  thing.  One  curious  thing  about  it  was  that 
Dulcibel  had  neither  a  saddle  nor  a  bridle  to  ride 
with.  She  thought  this  was  very  strange;  but 
her  mother  told  her  that  witches  always  rode  in 
that  manner. 

Here  the  two  ministers  of  Salem,  Rev.  Master 

Parris  and  Rev.  Master  Noyes,  said  that  this  was 
8 


H4  Dulcibel. 

undeniably  true,  that  it  was  a  curious  fact  that 
witches  never  used  saddles  nor  bridles.  Master 
Noyes  explaining  further  that  there  was  no  ne 
cessity  for  such  articles,  as  the  familiar  was  in 
stantly  cognizant  of  every  slighest  wish  or  command 
of  the  witch  to  whom  he  was  subject,  and  going 
thus  through  the  air,  there  being  no  rocks  or 
gulleys  or  other  rough  places,  there  was  no  neces 
sity  of  a  saddle.  Both  the  magistrates  and  the 
people  seemed  to  be  very  much  instructed 
by  the  remarks  of  these  two  godly  ministers. 

That  "pious  and  excellent  young  man,"  Jethro 
Sands,  here  came  forward  and  testified  as  follows: 
He  had  been  at  one  time  on  very  intimate  terms 
with  the  accused;  but  her  conduct  on  one  occa 
sion  was  so  very  singular  that  he  declined  there 
after  to  keep  company  with  her.  Hearing  one 
day  that  she  had  gone  to  Master  Joseph  Putnam's, 
he  had  walked  up  the  road  to  meet  her  on  her 
return  to  the  village.  He  looked  up  after  walking 
about  a  mile,  and  saw  her  coming  towards  him 

*  O 

on  a  furious  gallop.  There  seemed  to  have  been 
a  quarrel  of  some  kind  between  her  and  her  famil 
iar,  for  it  would  not  stop  all  she  could  do  to  it. 
As  she  came  up  to  him  she  snatched  a  rod  that 
he  had  cut  in  the  woods,  out  of  his  hand,  and  that 


Dulcibel  before  the  Magistrates.  115 

moment  the  familiar  stopped  and  became  as 
submissive  as  a  pet  dog.  He  could  not  under 
stand  what  it  meant,  until  it  suddenly  occurred  to 
him  that  the  rod  was  a  branch  of  witch-hazel! 

Here  the  audience  drew  a  long  breath,  the  whole 
thing  was  satisfactorily  explained.  Every  one 
knew  the  magical  power  of  witch-hazel.* 

Jethro  further  testified  that  Mistress  Dulcibel 
freely  admitted  to  him  that  her  horse  was  a  witch; 
never  speaking  of  the  mare  in  fact  but  as  a  "little 
witch."  As  might  be  expected,  the  horse  was 
a  most  vicious  animal,  worth  nothing  to  anybody 
save  one  who  was  a  witch  himself.  He  thought 
it  ought  to  be  stoned,  or  otherwise  killed,  at  once. 

The  Rev.  Master  Noyes  suggested  that  if 
it  were  handed  over  to  his  reverend  brother  Parris, 
he  might  be  able,  by  a  course  of  religious  exer 
cises,  to  cast  out  the  evil  spirit  and  render  the 
animal  serviceable.  The  apostles  and  disciples, 
it  would  be  remembered,  often  succeeded  in  cast 
ing  out  evil  spirits;  though  sometimes,  we  are  told, 
they  lamentably  failed. 

The  magistrates  here  consulted  a  few  minutes, 
and  Squire  Hathorne  then  ordered  that  the  black 

*This  and  many  other  passages,  as  the  reader  will  notice,  are 
quoted  verbatim  from  the  manuscript  volume. 


n6  Dulcibel. 

mare  should  be  handed  over  to  the  Rev.  Master 
Parris  for  his  use,  and  that  he  might  endeavor  to 
exorcise  the  evil  spirit  that  possessed  it. 

Dulcibel  had  regarded  with  calm  and  serious 
eyes  the  concourse  around  her  while  this  wild 
evidence  was  being  given.  Notwithstanding  the 
peril  of  her  position,  she  could  not  avoid  smiling 
occasionally  at  the  absurdity  of  the  charges  made 
against  her;  while  at  other  times  her  brow  and 

o 

cheeks  glowed  with  indignation  at  the  malicious 
ness  of  her  accusers.  Then  she  thought,  how 
could  I  ever  have  injured  these  neighbors  so  seri 
ously  that  they  have  been  led  to  conspire  together 
to  take  my  life  ?  Oh,  if  I  had  never  come  to 
Salem,  to  a  place  so  overflowing  with  malice,  evil- 
speaking  and  all  uncharitableness!  Where  there 
was  so  much  sanctimonious  talk  about  religion, 
and  such  an  utter  absence  of  it  in  those  that  prated 
the  most  of  its  possession.  Down  among  the  de 
spised  Quakers  of  Pennsylvania  there  was  not 
one-half  as  much  talking  about  religion  but  three 
times  as  much  of  that  kindly  charity  which  is  its 
essential  life. 

"Dulcibel  Burton,"  said  Squire  Hathorne, 
"you  have  heard  what  these  evidence  against  you; 
what  answer  can  you  make  to  them  ?" 


Dulcibel  before  the  Magistrates.   117 

Blood  will  assert  itself.  The  daughter  of  the 
old  sea-captain,  himself  of  Norse  descent  on  the 
mother's  side,  felt  her  father's  spirit  glowing  in  her 
full  veins. 

"The  charges  that  have  been  made  are  too 
absurd  and  ridiculous  for  serious  denial.  The 
'yellow  bird'  is  my  canary  bird,  Cherry,  given  me 
by  Captain  Alden  when  we  lived  in  Boston.  He 
brought  it  home  with  him  from  the  West  Indies. 
Ask  him  whether  it  is  a  familiar.  My  black  horse 
misbehaved  on  that  afternoon  Jethro  Sands  tells 
of,  as  I  told  him  at  the  time;  simply  because  I  had 
no  whip.  When  he  gave  me  his  switch,  the 
vixenish  animal  came  at  once  into  subjection  to 
save  herself  a  good  whipping.  It  was  not  a  hazel 
switch,  his  statement  is  false,  and  he  knows  it,  it 
was  a  maple  one." 

"And  you  mean  to  say,  I  suppose,"  shrieked 
out  Mistress  Ann  Putnam,  "that  you  have  no 
witch-mark  either;  that  you  do  not  carry  the 
devil's  brand  of  a  snake  over  your  heart  ?" 

"  I  have  some  such  mark,  but  it  is  a  birth-mark, 
and  not  a  witch-mark.  It  is  a  simple  curving  line 
of  red,"  and  the  girl  blushed  crimson  at  being 
compelled  to  such  a  reference  to  a  personal  pecu 
liarity.  But  she  faltered  not  in  her  speech,  though 


n8  Dulcibel. 

her  tones  were  more  indignant  than  before. 
"It  is  not  a  peculiarity  of  mine,  but  of  my  mother's 
family.  Some  say  that  a  distant  ancestor  was 
once  frightened  by  a  large  snake  coming  into  her 
chamber;  and  her  child  was  born  with  this  mark 
upon  her  breast.  That  is  all  of  it.  There  is  no 
necessity  of  any  examination,  for  I  admit  the 
charge." 

"Yes,"  screamed  Mistress  Putnam  again, 
"your  ancestress  too  was  a  noted  witch.  It  runs 
in  the  family.  Go  away  with  you!"  she  cried 
striking  apparently  at  something  with  her  clenched 
hand.  It  is  her  old  great  grandmother!  See, 
there  she  is!  Off!  Off!  She  is  trying  to  choke 
me!"  endeavoring  seemingly  to  unclasp  invisible 
hands  from  her  throat. 

The  other  "afflicted"  ones  joined  in  the  tumult. 
With  one  it  was  the  "yellow  bird"  pecking  at  her 
eyes,  with  another  the  black  horse  rearing  up  and 
striking  her  with  its  hoofs.  Leah  Herrick  cried 
that  Dulcibel's  "spectre"  was  choking  her. 

"Hold  her  hands  still!"  ordered  Squire  Ha- 
thorne,  and  a  constable  sprang  to  each  side  of  the 
accused  maiden  and  held  her  arms  and  hands  in  a 
grasp  of  iron. 

Joseph    Putnam    made    an    exclamation    that 


Dulcibel  before  the  Magistrates.  119 

almost  sounded  like  an  oath,  and  made  a  step 
forward;  but  a  firm  hand  was  laid  upon  his 
shoulder.  "Be  patient!'*  whispered  Ellis  Ray 
mond,  though  his  own  mouth  was  twitching  con 
siderably.  We  are  the  anvil  now;  wait  till  our 
turn  comes  to  be  sledgehammer!" 

Such  a  din  and  babel  as  the  "afflicted"  kept 
up !  By  the  curious  power  of  sympathy  it  affected 
the  crowd  almost  to  madness.  If  Dulcibel  looked 
at  them,  they  cried  she  was  tormenting  them.  If 
she  looked  upward  in  resignation  to  Heaven,  they 
also  stared  upwards  with  fixed,  stiff"  necks.  If 
she  leaned  her  head  one  side  they  did  the  same, 
until  it  seemed  as  if  their  necks  would  be  broken; 
and  the  jailers  forced  up  Dulcibel's  neck  with 
their  coarse,  dirty  hands. 

Dulcibel  had  not  attended  any  of  the  other 
examinations,  but  similar  demonstrations  on  the 
part  of  the  "afflicted"  had  been  described  to  her. 
It  was  very  different,  however,  to  hear  of  such 
things  and  to  experience  them  in  her  own  person. 
And  if  she  had  been  at  all  a  nervous  and  less 
healthy  young  woman,  she  might  have  been  over 
come  by  them,  and  even  led  to  admit,  as  so  many 
others  had  admitted  under  similar  influences,  that 
she  really  was  a  witch,  and  compelled  by  her  mas- 


120 


Dulcibel. 


ter,  the  devil,  could  not  help  tormenting  these 
poor  victims. 

"Why  do  you  not  cease  this?"  at  last  cried 
Squire  Hathorne,  sternly  and  wrathfully. 

"Cease   what?"    she    replied    indignantly. 

"Tormenting  these  poor,  suffering  children 
and  women!" 

"You  see  I  am  not  tormenting  them.  Bid 
these  men  unloose  my  hands,  they  are  hurting  me. " 

"They  say  your  spectre  and  your  familiar  are 
tormenting  them." 

"They  are  bearing  false  witness  against  me." 

"Who  does  hurt  them  then?" 

"Their  master,  the  devil,  I  suppose  and  his 
imps." 

"Why  should  he  hurt  them?" 

"Because  they  are  liars,  and  bear  false  witness; 
being  hungry  for  innocent  blood." 

The  spirit  of  the  free-thinking,  free-spoken  old 
sea-captain — nurtured  by  the  free  winds  and  the 
free  waves  for  forty  years — was  fully  alive  now 
in  his  daughter.  A  righteous,  holy  indignation  at 
the  abominable  farce  that  was  going  on  with  all 
its  gross  lying  and  injustice  had  taken  possession 
of  her,  and  she  cared  no  longer  for  the  opinions  of 
any  one  around  her,  and  thought  not  even  of  her 


Dulcibel  before  the  Magistrates.  121 

lover  looking  on,  but  only  of  truth  and  justice. 
"Yes,  they  are  possessed  with  devils — being 
children  of  their  father,  the  devil!"  she  continued 
scornfully.  "And  they  shall  have  their  reward. 
As  for  you,  Ann  Putnam,  in  seven  years  from  this 
day  I  summon  you  to  meet  those  you  have  slain 
with  your  wicked,  lying  tongue,  at  the  bar  of 
Almighty  God!  It  shall  be  a  long  dying  for  you!" 
Then,  seeing  Thomas  Putnam  by  his  wife's  side, 
"And  you,  Thomas  Putnam,  you  puppet  in  a  bad 
woman's  hands,  chief  aider  and  abettor  of  her 
wicked  ways,  you  shall  die  two  weeks  before  her, 
to  make  ready  for  her  coming!  And  you,"  turn 
ing  to  the  constables  on  each  side  of  her,  "for 
your  cruel  treatment  of  innocent  women,  shall 
die  by  this  time  next  year!" 

The  constables  loosened  their  grasp  of  her  hands 
and  shrank  back  in  dismay.  The  "afflicted" 
suddenly  hushed  their  cries  and  regained  their 
composure,  as  they  saw  the  accused  maiden's  eyes, 
lit  up  with  the  wildness  of  inspiration,  glancing 
around  their  circle  with  lightning  flashes  that 
might  strike  at  any  moment. 

Even  Squire  Hathorne's  wine-crimsoned  face 
paled,  lest  she  would  turn  around  and  denounce 
him  too.  Even  if  she  were  a  witch,  witches  it  was 


Dulcibel. 


known  sometimes  spoke  truly.  And  when  she 
slowly  turned  and  looked  upon  him,  the  haughty 
judge  was  ready  to  sink  to  the  floor. 

"As  for  you,  John  Hathorne,  for  your  part  in 
these  wicked  doings,"  here  she  paused  as  if  wait 
ing  to  hear  a  supernatural  voice,  while  the  crowded 
meeting-house  was  quiet  as  a  tomb  —  "No!  you  are 
only  grossly  deluded;  you  shall  not  die.  But  a 
curse  shall  be  upon  you  and  your  descendants  for 
a  hundred  years.  They  shall  not  prosper.  Then 
a  Hathorne  shall  arise  who  shall  repudiate  you 
and  all  your  wicked  works,  and  the  curse  shall 
pass  away!" 

Squire  Hathorne  regained  his  courage  the  instant 
she  said  he  should  not  die,  little  he  cared  for  mis 
fortunes  that  might  come  upon  his  descendants. 

"Off  with  the  witch  to  prison  —  -we  have  heard 
enough!"  he  cried  hoarsely.  Tell  the  jailer  to 
load  her  well  with  irons,  hands  and  feet;  and  give 
her  nothing  to  eat  but  bread  and  water  of  repen 
tance.  She  is  committed  for  trial  before  the 
special  court,  in  her  turn,  and  at  the  worshipful 
judges'  convenience. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 
Well,  What  Now? 

The  crowd  drew  long  breaths  as  they  emerged 
from  the  meeting-house.  This  was  the  first  time 
that  the  accused  had  fully  turned  upon  the 
accusers.  It  was  a  pity  that  it  had  not  been  done 
before;  because  such  was  the  superstition  of  the 
day,  that  to  have  your  death  predicted  by  one  who 
was  considered  a  witch  was  no  laughing  matter. 
The  blood  ran  cold  even  in  Mistress  Ann  Putnam's 
veins,  as  she  thought  of  Dulcibel's  prediction;  and 
the  rest  of  the  "afflicted"  inwardly  congratulated 
themselves  that  they  had  escaped  her  malediction, 
and  resolved  that  they  would  not  be  present  at 
her  trial  as  witnesses  against  her,  if  they  could 
possibly  avoid  it.  But  then  that  might  not  be  so 
easy. 

Even  the  crowd  of  beholders  were  a  little  more 
careful  in  the  utterance  of  their  opinions  about 
Dulcibel  than  they  had  been  relative  to  the  other 
accused  persons.  Not  that  they  had  much  doubt 
as  to  the  maiden's  being  a  born  witch — the 
serpent-mark  seemed  to  most  of  them  a  conclusive 
proof  of  that — but  what  if  one  of  those  "  spectres," 

123 


124  Dulcibel. 

the  "yellow  bird"  or  the  uncontrollable  "black 
mare"  should  be  near  and  listening  to  what  they 
were  even  then  saying  ? 

"What  do  I  think  about  it?"  said  one  of  the 
crowd  to  his  companion.  "Why  I  think  that  if 
he  who  sups  with  the  devil  should  have  a  long 
spoon,  he  who  abuses  a  witch  should  be  certain 
her  yellow  bird  is  not  listening  above  his  left 
shoulder,"  and  he  gave  a  quick  glance  in  the 
direction  alluded  to,  while  half  of  those  near  him, 
as  they  heard  his  warning  words,  d  d  the  same. 
And  there  was  not  much  talking  against  Dulcibel 
after  this,  among  that  portion  of  th  villagers. 

Ellis  Raymond  had  heard  this  speech  as  he 
walked  silently  out  of  the  meeting-house  with 
Joseph  Putnam,  and  a  grim  smile  flitted  over  his 
face.  He  felt  prouder  than  ever  of  his  beautiful 
betrothed.  He  was  not  a  man  who  admired 
amazons  or  other  masculine  women,  such,  as  in 
these  days,  we  call  "strong-minded;"  he  liked  a 
woman  to  keep  in  her  woman's  sphere,  such  as 
the  Creator  had  marked  out  for  her  by  making 
her  a  woman;  but  circumstances  may  rightly 
overrule  social  conventions,  and  demand  action 
suitable  to  the  emergency.  Standing  at  bay, 
among  a  pack  of  howling  wolves,  the  heroic  is  a 


Well,  What  Now?  125 

womanly  as  well  as  manly  quality;  and  the  gun 
and  the  knife  as  feminine  implements,  as  the 
needle  and  the  scissors.  Dulcibel  had  never 
reasoned  about  such  things;  she  was  a  maiden 
who  naturally  shrank  from  masculine  self-asser 
tion  and  publicity;  but,  called  to  confront  a  great 
peril,  she  was  true  to  the  noble  instincts  of  her 
family  and  her  race,  and  could  meet  falsehood 
with  indignant  denial  and  contempt.  How  she 
had  been  led  to  utter  those  predictions  she  never 
fully  understood — not  at  the  time  nor  afterwards. 
She  seemed  to  herself  to  be  a  mere  reed  through 
which  some  indignant  angel  was  speaking. 

"Well,"  said  Joseph  Putnam,  as  they  got  clear 
of  the  crowd,  "brother  Thomas  and  sister  Ann 
have  wakened  up  the  tiger  at  last.  They  will  be 
"afflicted"  now  in  dead  earnest.  Did  you  see 
how  sister  Ann,  with  all  her  assurance,  grew  pale 
and  almost  fainted  ?  It  serves  her  right;  she 
deserves  it;  and  Thomas  too,  for  being  such  a 
dupe  and  fool." 

"Do  you  think  it  will  come  true  ?"  said  Master 
Raymond. 

"Of  course  it  will;  the  prediction  will  fulfill 
itself.  Thomas  is  superstitious  beyond  all  reason 
ableness;  and  good  Mistress  Ann,  my  pious 


i26  Dulcibel. 

sister-in-law,  is  almost  as  bad  as  he  is,  notwith 
standing  her  lies  and  trickery.  Do  you  know 
what  I  saw  that  Leah  Herrick  doing  ?" 

"What  was  it  ?" 

"In  her  pretended  spasms,  when  bending 
nearly  double,  she  was  taking  a  lot  of  pins  out  of 
the  upper  edge  of  her  stomacher  with  her  mouth, 
preparatory  of  course,  to  making  the  accusation 
that  it  was  Dulcibel's  doings." 

"But  she  did  not  ?" 

"No,  it  was  just  before  the  time  that  Dulcibel 
scared  them  so  with  the  predictions;  and  Leah 
was  so  frightened,  lest  she  also  should  be  predicted 
against,  that  she  quietly  spit  all  the  pins  into  her 
hand  again." 

"Ah,  that  was  the  game  played  by  a  girl  about 
ten  years  ago  at  Taunton-Dean,  in  England. 
Judge  North  told  my  father  about  it.  One  of  the 
magistrates  saw  her  do  it." 

"Well,  now,  what  shall  we  do  ?  They  will 
convict  her  just  as  surely  as  they  try  her." 

"Undoubtedly!" 

"Shall  we  attack  and  break  open  the  jail  some 
dark  night,  sword  in  hand  ?  I  can  raise  a  party 
of  young  men,  friends  of  the  imprisoned,  to  do  it; 
they  only  want  a  leader." 


Well,  What  Now?  127 

"And  all  of  you  go  off  into  perpetual  banish 
ment  and  have  all  your  property  confiscated  ?" 

"I  do  not  care.     I  am  ready  to  do  it." 

"If  you  choose  to  encounter  such  a  risk  for 
others,  I  have  no  objection.  I  believe  myself 
that  if  the  friends  and  relatives  of  the  accused 
persons  would  take  up  arms  in  defense  of  them, 
and  demand  their  release,  it  would  be  the  very 
manliest  and  most  sensible  thing  they  could  do. 
But  the  consciences  of  the  people  here  make 
cowards  of  them.  They  are  all  in  bondage  to  a 
blind  and  conceited  set  of  ministers,  and  to  a 
narrow  and  bigoted  creed." 

"Then  what  do  you  plan  ?" 

"Dulcibel's  escape.  You  know  that  I  managed 
to  see  her  for  a  few  minutes  early  this  morning. 
She  has  a  friend  within  the  prison.  Wait  till 
we  get  on  our  horses,  and  I  will  explain  it  all  to 
you." 


CHAPTER  XIX. 
Antipas  Works  a  Miracle. 

The  next  morning  Antipas  Newton  was  brought 
before  the  Magistrates  for  examination.  Antipas 
seemed  so  quiet  and  peaceful  in  his  demeanor, 
that  Squire  Hathorne  could  hardly  credit  the 
story  told  by  the  constables  of  his  violent  behavior 
on  the  night  of  the  arrest. 

"I  thought  you  were  a  Quaker,"  said  he  to  the 
prisoner. 

"No,  only  half  Quaker;  the  other  half  gos 
peller,"  replied  the  old  man  meekly. 

Mistress  Ann  was  not  present;  her  husband 
brought  report  that  she  was  sick  in  bed.  Prob 
ably  she  did  not  care  to  come,  the  game  being  too 
insignificant.  Perhaps  she  had  not  quite  recov 
ered  from  the  stunning  effect  of  Dulcibel's  pre 
diction.  Though  it  was  not  likely  that  a  doom 
that  was  to  be  seven  years  in  coming,  would,  after 
the  first  impression  was  past,  be  felt  very  keenly. 
There  was  time  for  so  much  to  happen  during 
seven  years. 

But    the    Rev.    Master    Parris's    little    niece, 

Abigail  Williams,  was  present,  and  several  other 

128 


Antipas  Works  a  Miracle.       129 

older  members  of  the  "circle,"  prepared  to  witness 
against  the  old  man  to  any  extent  that  seemed 
to  be  necessary. 

After  these  had  made  their  customary  charges, 
and  had  gone  through  some  of  their  usual  parox 
ysms,  Joseph  Putnam,  accompanied  by  Goodman 
Buckley,  came  forward. 

"This  is  all  folly,"  said  Joseph  Putnam  stoutly. 
"We  all  know  Antipas  Newton;  and  that  he  has 
been  deranged  in  his  intellects,  and  of  unsound 
mind  for  the  last  twenty  years.  He  is  generally 
peaceful  and  quiet;  though  in  times  of  excitement 
like  the  present,  liable  to  be  driven  into  outbreaks 
of  violent  madness.  Here  is  his  employer,  Good 
man  Buckley,  who  of  course  knows  him  best,  and 
who  will  testify  to  all  this  even  more  conclusively 
than  I  can." 

Then  Goodman  Buckley  took  the  oath  with 
uplifted  hand,  and  gave  similar  evidence.  No  one 
had  even  doubted  for  twenty  years  past,  that 
Antipas  was  simple-minded.  He  often  said  and 
did  strange  things;  but  only  when  everybody 
around  him  was  greatly  excited,  was  he  at  all 
liable  to  violent  outbreaks  of  passion. 

Squire  Hathorne  seemed  half-convinced;  but 
the  Reverend  Master  Parris  rose  from  the  bench 

9 


130  Dulcibel. 

where  he  had  been  sitting,  and  said  he  would  like 
to  be  heard  for  a  few  moments.  Permission  being 
accorded:  "What  is  insanity?"  said  he.  "What 
is  the  scriptural  view  of  it  ?  Is  it  anything  but  a 
judgment  of  the  Lord  for  sin,  as  in  the  case  of 
Nebuchadnezzar;  or  a  possession  by  a  devil, 
or  devils,  as  in  the  case  of  the  Gadarene  who  made 
his  dwelling  among  the  tombs  as  told  in  the  fifth 
chapter  of  Mark  and  the  eighth  of  Luke  ?  That 
these  were  real  devils  is  evident — for  when  per 
mission  was  given  them  to  enter  into  the  herd  of 
swine,  they  entered  into  them,  and  the  swine  ran 
down  a  steep  place  into  the  sea  and  were  drowned. 
And  as  there  were  about  two  thousand  swine, 
there  must  have  been  at  least  two  thousand  devils 
in  that  one  so-called  insane  man;  which  no  doubt 
accounted  for  his  excessive  violence.  After  the 
devils  had  left  him,  we  are  told  that  his  country 
men  came  and  saw  him  sitting  at  the  feet  of  Jesus, 
no  longer  naked,  but  clothed  and  in  his  right  mind. 
Therefore  it  follows  as  a  logical  deduction,  that 
his  not  being  before  in  his  right  mind  was  because 
he  was  possessed  with  devils." 

The  magistrates  and  people  evidently  were 
greatly  impressed  with  what  Master  Parris  had  said. 
And,  as  he  sat  down,  Master  Noyes,  who  was  sit- 


Antipas  Works  a  Miracle.       131 

ting  beside  his  reverend  brother,  rose  and  said  that 
he  considered  the  argument  they  had  just  heard 
unanswerable.  It  could  only  be  refuted  by  doubt 
ing  the  infallibility  of  the  Scripture  itself.  And  he 
would  further  add,  as  to  the  case  before  them,  that 
this  so-called  insanity  of  the  prisoner  had  not 
manifested  itself  until  he  had  been  repeatedly 
guilty  of  harboring  two  of  that  heretical  and 
abominable  sect  called  Quakers  and  had  incurred 
imprisonment  and  heavy  fines  for  so  doing;  to  pay 
which  fines  his  property  had  been  rightfully  sold. 
This  punishment,  and  the  death  of  his  daughter 
by  the  decree  of  a  just  God,  apparently  not  being 
sufficient  to  persuade  him  of  the  error  of  his  ways, 
no  doubt  he  had  been  given  over  to  the  devil,  that 
he  might  become  a  sign  and  a  warning  to  evil-doers. 
But,  instead  of  repenting  of  his  evil  ways,  he  seems 
to  have  entered  the  service  of  Captain  Burton, 
who  was  always  known  to  be  very  loose  in  his 
religious  views  and  observances;  and  who  it  now 
seems  was  himself  a  witch,  or,  as  he  might  be  rather 
more  correctly  termed,  a  wizard,  and  the  father 
of  the  dangerous  girl  who  was  properly  committed 
for  trial  yesterday.  Going  thus  downward  from 
bad  to  worse,  this  Antipas  had  at  last  become  a 
witch  himself;  roaming  around  tormenting  godly 


132  Dulcibel. 

and  unoffending  people  to  please  his  mistress  and 
her  Satanic  master.  In  conclusion  he  said  that  he 
fully  agreed  with  his  reverend  brother,  that  what 
some  of  the  world's  people,  who  thought  themselves 
wise  above  that  which  was  written,  called  insanity, 
was  simply,  as  taught  in  the  holy  scriptures,  a 
possession  by  the  devil." 

Magistrate  Hathorne  nodded  to  Magistrate 
Corwin,  and  Magistrate  Corwin  nodded  in  turn 
decidedly  to  his  learned  brother.  They  evidently 
considered  that  the  ministers  had  settled  that  point. 

"Well,  then,"  said  Joseph  Putnam,  a  little 
roughly  to  the  ministers,  "why  do  you  not  do  as  the 
Savior  did,  cast  out  the  devils,  that  Antipas  may 
sit  down  here  in  his  right  mind  ?  We  do  not  read 
that  any  of  these  afflicted  people  in  Judea  were 
cast  into  prison.  In  all  cases  they  were  pitied,  not 
punished." 

"This  is  an  unseemly  interruption,  Master 
Putnam,"  said  Squire  Hathorne  sternly.  "We  all 
know  that  the  early  disciples  were  given  the  power 
to  cast  out  devils  and  that  they  exercised  the  power 
continually,  but  that  in  later  times  the  power  has 
been  withdrawn.  If  it  were  not  so,  our  faithful 
elders  would  cast  out  the  spectres  that  are  con 
tinually  tormenting  these  poor  afflicted  persons." 


Antipas  Works  a  Miracle.       133 


While  this  discussion  had  been  going  on,  Antipas 
had  been  listening  to  all  that  was  said  with  the 
greatest  attention.     Once  only  had  he  manifested 
any  emotion;  that  was  when  the   reference  had 
been  made  to  the  death  of  his  daughter,  who  had 
died  from  her  exposure  to  the  severity  of  the  winter 
season   in   Salem  jail.     At  this   time   he   put  his 
hand  to  his  eyes  and  wiped  away  a  few  tears.     Be 
fore  and  after  this,  the  expression  of  his  face  was 
rather  as  of  one  who  was  pleased  and  amused  at  the 
idea  of  being  the  center  of  attraction  to  such  a 
large  and  goodly  company.     At  the  conclusion  of 
Squire  Hathorne's  last  remark,  a  new  idea  seemed 
to  enter  the  old  man's  confused  brain.     He  looked 
steadily  at  the  line  of  the  "afflicted"  before  him, 
who  were  now  beginning  a  new  display  of  parox 
ysms  and  contortions,  and  putting  his  right  hand 
into  one  of  his  pockets,  he  drew  forth  a  coil  of 
stout  leather    strap.     Grasping  one  end  of  it,  he 
shouted,  "I  can  heal  them!     I   know  what  will 
cure  them!"  and  springing  from  between  the  two 
constables   that   guarded   him,   began    belaboring 
the  "afflicted"  with  his  strap  over  their  backs  and 
shoulders  in  a  very  energetic  fashion. 

Dividing  his  energies  between  keeping  off  the 
constable  and  "healing  the  afflicted,"  and  aided 


134  Dulcibel. 

rather  than  hindered  by  Joseph  Putnam's  inten 
tionally  ill-directed  efforts  to  restrain  him,  the 
insane  man  managed  to  administer  in  a  short  time 
no  small  amount  of  very  exemplary  punishment. 
And,  as  Masters  Putnam  and  Raymond  agreed  in 
talking  over  the  scene  afterwards,  he  certainly  did 
seem  to  effect  an  instantaneous  cure  of  the 
"afflicted,"  for  they  came  to  their  sober  senses  at 
the  first  cut  of  the  leather  strap,  and  rushed  pell- 
mell  down  the  passage  as  rapidly  as  they  could 
regardless  of  the  other  tormenting  "spectres." 

"This  is  outrageous!"  said  Squire  Hathorne 
hotly  to  the  constables  as  Antipas  was  at  last  over 
powered  by  a  host  of  assailants,  and  stood  now 
firmly  secured  and  panting  between  the  two 
officers.  "  How  dared  you  bring  him  here  without 
being  handcuffed?" 

"We  had  no  idea  of  his  breaking  out  anew,  he 
seemed  as  meek  as  a  lamb,"  said  constable  Herrick. 

"Why,  we  thought  he  was  a  Quaker!"  added 
his  assistant. 

"I  am  a  Quaker!"  said  Antipas,  looking  a  little 
dangerous  again. 

"You  are  not." 

"Thou  liest!"  said  the  insane  man.  "This  is 
one  of  my  off  days." 


Antipas  Works  a  Miracle.       135 

Joseph  Putnam  laughed  outright;  and  a  few 
others,  who  were  not  church-members,  laughed 
with  him. 

"Silence!"  thundered  Squire  Hathorne.  "Is 
this  a  time  for  idle  levity  ?"  and  he  glared  around 
the  room. 

"We  have  heard  enough,"  continued  the  Squire, 
after  a  few  words  with  his  colleague.  "This  is  a 
dangerous  man.  Take  him  off  again  to  prison; 
and  see  that  his  chains  are  strong  enough  to  keep 
him  out  of  mischief. " 


CHAPTER  XX. 
Master  Raymond  Goes  to  Boston. 

Whatever  the  immediate  effect  of  Dulcibel's 
prediction  had  been,  Mistress  Ann  Putnam  was 
now  about  again,  as  full  of  wicked  plans,  and  as 
dangerous  as  ever.  She  knew,  for  everybody 
knew,  that  Master  Ellis  Raymond  had  gone  to 
Boston.  In  a  village  like  Salem  at  that  time,  such 
fact  could  hardly  be  concealed. 

"What  had   he   gone  for? 

"To  see  a  friend,"  Joseph  Putnam  had  said. 

"What  friend  ?  queried  Mistress  Ann.  That 
seemed  important  for  her  to  know. 

She  had  accused  Dulcibel  in  the  first  place  as  a 
means  of  hurting  Joseph  Putnam.  But  now  since 
the  trial,  she  hated  her  for  herself.  It  was  not  so 
much  on  account  of  the  prediction,  as  on  account 
of  Dulcibel's  terrific  arraignment  of  her.  The 
accusation  that  her  husband  was  her  dupe  and  tool 
was,  on  account  of  its  palpable  truth,  that  which 
gave  her  perhaps  the  greatest  offence.  The 
charge  being  once  made,  others  might  see  its 
truth  also.  Thus  all  the  anger  of  her  cunning, 
revengeful  nature  was  directed  against  Dulcibel. 

136 


Master  Raymond  Goes  to  Boston.  137 

And  just  at  this  time  she  heard  from  a  friend  in 
Boston,  who  sent  her  a  budget  of  news,  that  Master 
Raymond  had  taken  dinner  with  Captain  Alden. 
"Ah,"  she  thought,  "I  see  it  now."  The  name 
was  a  clue  to  her.  Captain  Alden  was  an  old 
friend  of  Captain  Burton.  He  it  was,  so  Dulcibel 
had  said,  from  whom  she  had  the  gift  of  the 
"yellow  bird." 

She  knew  Captain  Alden  by  reputation.  Like 
the  other  seamen  of  the  time  he  was  superstitious 
in  some  directions,  but  not  at  all  in  others.  He 
would  not  for  the  world  leave  port  on  a  Friday — 
or  kill  a  mother  Carey's  chicken — or  whistle  at  sea; 
but  as  to  seeing  witches  in  pretty  young  girls,  or 
sweet  old  ladies,  that  was  entirely  outside  of  the 
average  seaman's  thoughts.  Toward  all  women  in 
fact,  young  or  old,  pretty  or  ugly,  every  sailor's 
heart  at  that  day,  as  in  this,  warmed  involuntarily. 

She  also  knew  that  the  seamen  as  a  class  were 
rather  inclined  to  what  the  godly  called  license  in 
their  religious  opinions.  Had  not  the  sea-cap 
tains  in  Boston  Harbor,  some  years  before,  unan 
imously  refused  to  carry  the  young  Quakeress, 
Cassandra  Southwick,  and  her  brother,  to  the 
West  Indies  and  sell  them  there  for  slaves,  to  pay 
the  fines  incurred  by  their  refusal  to  attend  church 


138  Dulcibel. 

regularly  ?  Had  not  one  answered  for  the  rest,  as 
paraphrased  by  a  gifted  descendant  of  the 
Quakers  ?— 

"Pile  my  ship  with  bars  of  silver — pack  with 
coins  of  Spanish  gold, 

From  keelpiece  up  to  deck-plank  the  roomage 
of  her  hold, 

By  the  living  God  who  made  me!  I  would 
sooner  in  your  bay 

Sink  ship  and  crew  and  cargo,  than  bear  this 
child  away!" 

And  so  Master  Raymond,  who  it  was  rumored 
had  been  a  great  admirer  of  Dulcibel  Burton,  was 
on  a  visit  to  Boston,  to  see  her  father's  old  friend, 
Captain  John  Alden!  Mistress  Putnam  thought 
she  could  put  two  and  two  together,  if  any  woman 
could.  She  would  checkmate  that  game — and 
with  one  of  her  boldest  strokes,  too — that  should 
strike  fear  into  the  soul  of  even  Joseph  Putnam 
himself,  and  teach  him  that  no  one  was  too  high  to 
be  above  the  reach  of  her  indignation. 

The  woman  was  so  fierce  in  this  matter,  that  I 
sometimes  have  questioned,  could  she  ever  have 
loved  and  been  scorned  by  Joseph  Putnam  ? 


CHAPTER  XXL 
A  Night  Interview. 

A  few  days  passed  and  Master  Raymond  was 
back  again;  with  a  pleasant  word  and  smile  for 
all  he  met,  as  he  rode  through  the  village.  Mistress 
Ann  Putnam  herself  met  him  on  the  street  and  he 
pulled  up  his  horse  at  the  side-path  as  she  stopped, 
and  greeted  her. 

"So  you  have  been  to  Boston?"  she  said. 

"Yes,  I  thought  I  would  take  a  little  turn  and 
hear  what  was  going  on  up  there. " 

"Who  did  you  see — any  of  our  people  ?" 

"  Oh,  yes — the  Nortons  and  the  Mathers  and  the 
Higginsons  and  the  Sewalls — I  don't  know  all. 

"Good  day;  remember  me  to  my  kind  brother 
Joseph  and  his  wife,"  said  she,  and  Raymond  rode 
on. 

"What  did  that  crafty  creature  wish  to  find  out 
by  stopping  me  ?"  he  thought  to  himself. 

"He  did  not  mention  Captain  Alden.  Yes,  he 
went  to  consult  him,"  thought  Mistress  Putnam. 

Master  Joseph  Putnam  was  so  anxious  to  meet 
his  friend,  that  he  was  standing  at  the  turning  in 
the  lane  that  led  up  to  his  house. 


140  Dulcibel. 

"Well,  what  did  the  Captain  say  ?" 

"He  was  astounded.  Then  he  gave  utterance 
to  some  emphatic  expressions  about  hell-fire  and 
damnation  which  he  had  probably  heard  in  church. 

"I  know  no  more  appropriate  occasion  to  use 
them,"  commented  young  Master  Joseph  drily. 
"  If  it  were  not  for  certain  portions  of  the  psalms 
and  the  prophets,  I  could  hardly  get  through  the 
time  comfortably  nowadays." 

"If  we  can  get  her  safely  to  Boston,  he  will  see 
that  a  fast  vessel  is  ready  to  take  us  to  New  York; 
and  he  will  further  see  that  his  own  vessel — the 
Colony's  rather,  which  he  commands — never 
catches  us." 

"  That  looks  well.  I  managed  to  see  Dulcibel  for 
a  few  minutes  to-day,  and" 

"How  is  she?"  inquired  Raymond  eagerly. 
"Does  she  suffer  much  ?" 

"Not  very  much  I  think.  No  more  than  is 
necessary  to  save  appearances.  She  told  me  that 
the  jailer  was  devoted  to  her.  He  will  meet  you 
to-night  after  dark  on  the  hill,  to  arrange  matters." 

"  Say  that  we  get  from  the  prison  by  midnight. 
Then  it  will  take  at  least  three  hours  riding  to 
reach  Boston — though  we  shall  not  enter  the 


A  Night  Interview. 


"Three  hours!  Yes,  four,"  commented  his 
friend;  "or  even  five  if  the  night  be  dark  and 
stormy;  and  such  a  night  has  manifest  advantages. 
Still,  as  I  suppose  you  must  wait  for  a  northwest 
wind,  that  is  pretty  sure  to  be  a  clear  one." 

"Yes,  the  main  thing  is  to  get  out  into  the  open 
sea.  Captain  Alden  plans  to  procure  a  Danish 
vessel,  whose  skipper  once  out  of  sight  of  land,  will 
oppose  any  recapture  by  force." 

"  I  suppose  however  you  will  sail  for  New  York  ?  " 

"Yes,  that  is  the  nearest  port  and  we  shall  be 
perfectly  safe  there.  Still  Jamestown  would  do. 
The  Delaware  is  nearer  than  the  James,  but  I  am 
afraid  the  Quakers  would  not  be  able  to  protect 
us,  as  they  are  too  good  to  oppose  force  by  force.  " 

"Too  good!  too  cranky!"  said  Master  Putnam. 
"A  pretty  world  the  rascals  would  make  of  it,  if 
the  honest  men  were  too  good  to  fight.  It  seems 
to  me  there  is  something  absolutely  wicked  in  their 
non-resistant  notions." 

"  Yes,  it  is  no  worse  to  kill  a  two-legged  tiger  or 
wolf  than  a  four-legged  one;  one  has  just  as  good 
a  right  to  live  as  the  other.  " 

"A  better,  I  think,"  replied  Master  Putnam. 
"The  tiger  or  wolf  is  following  out  his  proper 
nature;  the  human  tiger  or  wolf  is  violating  his." 


142  Dulcibel. 

"You  know  I  rather  like  the  Quakers,"  re 
joined  Master  Raymond.  "I  like  their  general 
idea  of  considering  the  vital  spirit  of  the  Scripture 
more  than  the  mere  outward  letter.  But  in  this 
case,  it  seems  to  me,  they  are  in  bondage  to  the 
mere  letter  'thou  shalt  not  kill;'  not  seeing  that  to 
kill,  in  many  cases,  is  really  to  save,  not  only  life, 
but  all  that  makes  life  valuable." 

That  evening  just  about  dusk,  the  two  young 
men  mounted  their  horses,  and  rode  down  one  of 
the  roads  that  led  to  Salem  town,  leaving  Salem 
village  on  the  right — thinking  best  not  to  pass 
through  the  village.  Within  a  mile  or  so  of  the 
town,  Master  Putnam  said,  "here  is  the  place" 
and  led  the  way  into  a  bridle  path  that  ran  into 
the  woods.  In  about  five  minutes  he  halted 
again,  gave  a  low  whistle,  and  a  voice  said,  a 
short  distance  from  them,  "Who  are  you, 
strangers  ?" 

"Friends   in   need,"    replied    Master   Putnam. 

"Then  ye  are  friends  indeed,"  said  the  voice; 
and  Robert  Foster,  the  jailer,  stepped  from  behind 
the  trunk  of  a  tree  into  the  path. 

"Well,  Robie,  how's  the  little  girl?"  said  Mas 
ter  Joseph. 

"  Bonnie  as  could  be  expected,"  was  the  answer. 


A  Night  Interview.  143 

"She  sends  word  to  you,  sir,"  addressing  Master 
Raymond,"  that  you  had  better  not  come  to  see 
her.  She  knows  well  all  you  could  say — just  as 
well  as  if  she  heard  it,  the  brave,  bonnie  lassie!" 

"I  know  it,"  replied  Master  Raymond.  "Tell 
her  I  think  of  her  every  moment — and  that  things 
look  bright." 

"  Let  us  get  out  of  this  glooming,  and  where  we 
can  see  a  rod  around  us,"  suggested  the  jailer.  "I 
like  to  see  at  least  as  far  as  my  elbow,  when  I  am 
talking  confidentially." 

"I  will  go — you  stay  here  with  the  horses," 
said  Raymond  to  Master  Putnam.  "I  do  not 
want  you  mixed  up  with  this  thing  any  more  than 
is  absolutely  necessary." 

"Oh,  I  do  not  care  for  the  risk — I  like  it," 
replied  his  friend. 

"Stay,  nevertheless,"  insisted  Master  Raymond. 
And  getting  down  from  his  horse,  and  handing 
the  bridle  rein  to  Master  Putnam,  he  followed  the 
jailer  out  into  an  open  space,  where  the  rocks 
coming  to  the  surface,  had  prevented  the  growth 
of  the  forest.  Here  it  was  a  little  lighter  than  it 
had  been  in  the  wood-path;  but,  the  clouds  hav 
ing  gathered  over  the  sky  since  they  started,  it 
was  not  possible  to  see  very  far  around  them. 


144 


Dulcibel. 


"Hoold  up  there!"  cried  Robie,  catching  Ray 
mond  by  the  arm — "why,  man,  do  you  mean  to 
walk  straight  over  the  cliff  ?" 

"I  did  not  know  any  chasm  was  there,"  said 
Raymond.  "I  never  saw  this  place  before. 
Master  Putnam  said  it  was  a  spot  where  we  should 
not  be  likely  to  be  molested.  And  it  does  look 
desolate  enough."  He  leaned  back  against  one 
of  two  upright  planks  which  seemed  to  have  been 
placed  there  for  some  purpose,  and  looked  at  a 
little  pile  of  dirt  and  stones  not  far  from  his  feet. 

"No,"  said  the  jailer.  "I  opine  we  shall  not 
be  disturbed  here.  I  do  not  believe  there  is 
more  than  three  persons  in  Salem  that  would  be 
willing  to  come  to  this  hill  at  this  time  of  day,— 
and  they  are  here  already."  And  the  jailer 
smiled  audibly. 

"Why,  how  is  that?" 

"Because  they  are  all  so  damnably  soopersti- 
tious!"  replied  Robie,  with  an  air  of  vast  supe 
riority. 

"Ah!"  is  this  place  then  said  to  be  haunted  ?" 

"Yes, — poor  Goodwife  Bishop's  speerit  is  said 
to  haunt  it.  But  as  she  never  did  anybody  any 
harm  while  she  was  living,  I  see  not  why  she 
should  harm  any  one  now  that  she  is  dead." 


A  Night  Interview.  145 


"And  so  brave  Bridget  was  executed  near  this 
place?  Where  was  the  foul  murder  done?" 

"You  are  leaning  against  the  gallows,"  said 
Robie  quietly.  "And  that  pile  of  stones  at  your 
feet  is  over  her  grave." 

Raymond  was  a  brave  man,  physically  and 
morally,  and  not  at  all  superstitious;  but  he  re 
coiled  involuntarily  from  the  plank  against  which 
he  had  been  leaning,  and  no  longer  allowed  his 
right  foot  to  rest  upon  the  top  stones  of  the  little 
heap  that  marked  the  grave. 

"Oh,  I  thought  you  knew  it,"  said  the  jailer 
calmly.  "  I  say,  let  them  fear  goodwife  Bishop's 
ghost  who  did  her  wrong.  As  for  me,  I  favored 
her  all  I  dared;  and  her  last  word  to  me  was  a 
blessing.  But  now  for  your  honor's  business, 
I  have  not  long  to  stay. " 

"I  have  planned  all  but  the  getting  out  of  jail. 
Can  it  be  easily  done  ?" 

"  As  easy  as  walking  out  of  a  room. " 

"Will  you  not  be  suspected  ?" 

"Not  at  all,  I  think — they  are  so  mightily 
sooperstitious.  I  shall  lock  everything  tight  after 
her;  and  make  up  a  good  story  about  my  waken 
ing  up  in  the  middle  of  the  night,  just  in  time  to 
see  her  flying  out  of  the  top  o'  the  house,  on  her 


10 


146  Dulcibel. 

black  mare,  and  thrashing  the  animal  with  a 
broom-handle.  The  bigger  the  lie  the  quicker 
they  will  believe  it." 

"If  they  should  suspect  you,  let  Master  Put 
nam  know,  and  he  will  get  you  off,  if  wit  and 
money  together  can  do  it. " 

"Oh,  I  believe  that,"  said  the  jailer.  "Master 
Putnam  is  well  known  in  all  these  parts,  as  a  man 
that  never  deserts  a  friend;  and  I'll  warrant  you 
are  one  of  the  same  grit." 

"My  hand  on  it,  Robie!"  and  he  shook  the 
jailer's  hand  warmly.  "I  shall  never  forget  this 
service." 

"I  am  a  rough,  ignorant  man,"  replied  Robie 
quietly;  "but  I  know  gentle  blood  when  I  see  it." 

"What  time  of  night  will  suit  you  best  ?" 

"Just  about  twelve  o'clock  at  night.  That  is 
the  time  all  the  ghosts  and  goblins  and  weetches 
choose;  and  when  all  honest  people  are  in  their 
beds,  and  in  their  first  and  soundest  sleep." 

"We  shall  not  be  able  to  give  you  much  warning, 
for  we  must  wait  a  favorable  wind  and  tide." 

"So  you  let  me  know  by  nightfall,  it  will  do." 

"And  now  for  the  last  point — what  do  I  pay 
you  ?  I  know  we  are  asking  you  to  run  a  great 
risk.  The  men  that  whip  gentlewomen  at  the 


A  Night  Interview.  147 

cart's  tail,  and  put  little  children  into  jail,  and  sell 
them  as  slaves,  will  not  spare  you,  if  they  find  out 
what  you  have  done.  Thank  God,  I  am  rich 
enough  to  pay  you  well  for  taking  such  a  fearful 
risk  and  shall  be  only  too  glad  to  reward  your 
unselfish  deed." 

"Not  a  shilling!"  replied  Robie  proudly.  "I 
am  not  doing  this  thing  for  pay.  It  is  for  the  old 
Captain's  little  girl,  that  I  have  held  in  these  arms 
many  a  day — and  for  the  old  Captain  himself. 
While  these  bloody  landsmen,"  continued  the 
old  sailor,  "plague  and  persecute  each  other, 
Master  Raymond,  what  is  that  to  us,  we  men  of 
the  sea,  who  have  a  creed  and  a  belief  of  our  own, 
and  who  never  even  think  of  hurting  a  woman  or 
a  child  ?  But  as  for  these  landsmen,  sticking  at 
home  all  the  time,  how  can  they  be  expected  to 
know  anything — compared  to  men  that  have 
doubled  both  Capes,  and  seen  people  living  all 
sorts  of  ways,  and  believing  all  sorts  of  things  ? 
No,  no,"  and  Robie  laughed  disdainfully,  "let 
these  landlubbers  attend  to  their  own  affairs; 
but  let  them  keep  their  hands  off  us  seamen  and 
our  families." 

"So  be  it  then,  Robie;  I  honor  your  feelings! 
But  nevertheless  I  shall  not  forget  you.  And  one 


148  Dulcibel. 

of  these  days,  if  we  get  off  safely,  you  shall  hear 
from  me  again  about  this  matter." 

And  then,  their  plans  settled,  Robie  trudged 
down  to  the  town;  while  the  young  men  rode  back 
the  way  they  had  come,  to  Master  Putnam's. 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

The  Reverend  Master  Parris  Exorcises 
"Little  Witch." 

It  will  be  remembered  that  Squire  Hathorne  had 
directed  that  Dulcibel's  little  horse  should  be 
handed  over  to  the  Reverend  Master  Parris,  in 
order  that  it  might  be  brought  into  due  subjection. 

This  had  pleased  Master  Parris  very  much. 
In  the  first  place  he  was  of  a  decidedly  acquisitive 
turn — as  had  been  shown  in  his  scheming  to 
obtain  a  gift  of  the  minister's  house  and  orchard— 
and  moreover,  if  he  was  able  to  cast  out  the  devil 
that  evidently  possessed  this  horse,  and  make  it 
a  sober  and  docile  riding  animal,  it  would  not  only 
be  the  gain  of  a  very  pretty  beast,  but  would  prove 
that  something  of  the  power  of  casting  out  devils, 
which  had  been  given  to  the  disciples  of  old,  had 
come  down  unto  him.  In  such  a  case,  his  fame 
probably  would  equal,  if  not  surpass,  that  of  the 
great  Boston  ministers,  Increase  and  Cotton 
Mather. 

Goodman  Buckley  had  brought  down  the  little 
mare,  the  next  morning  after  the  examination. 

The  mare  would  lead  very  well,  if  the  person  lead- 

149 


150  Dulcibel. 

ing  her  was  on  horseback — very  badly,  if  he  were 
not,  except  under  peculiar  circumstances.  She 
was  safely  housed  in  the  minister's  stable,  and 
gazed  at  with  mingled  fear  and  admiration  by  the 
family  and  their  immediate  neighbors.  Master 
Parris  liked  horses,  had  some  knowledge  of  the 
right  way  to  handle  them,  and  showed  more 
wisdom  in  his  treatment  of  this  rather  perverse 
animal  of  Dulcibel's  than  he  had  ever  manifested 
in  his  church  difficulties. 

He  began  by  what  he  called  a  course  of  con 
ciliation — to  placate  the  devil,  as  it  were.  How 
he  could  bring  his  conscience  to  allow  of  this,  I 
am  not  able  to  understand.  But  then  the  mare, 
if  the  devil  were  once  cast  out,  would  be,  on 
account  of  her  rare  beauty,  a  very  valuable  animal. 
And  so  the  minister,  twice  a  day,  made  a  point  of 
going  into  the  little  passage,  at  the  head  of  the 
stall,  speaking  kindly  to  the  animal,  and  giving 
her  a  small  lump  of  maple  sugar. 

Like  most  of  her  sex,  Susannah — as  Master 
Parris  had  renamed  her,  knowing  the  great 
importance  of  a  good  name — was  very  fond  of 
sugar;  and  her  first  apparent  aversion  to  the 
minister  seemed  gradually  to  change  into  a  kind 
of  tacit  respect  and  toleration,  under  the  influence 


Exorcising  "Little  Witch."      151 

of  his  daily  medications.  Finally,  the  wary 
animal  would  allow  him  to  pat  her  neck  without 
striking  at  him  with  one  of  her  front  feet,  or  trying 
to  bite  him;  and  even  to  stroke  her  glossy  flanks 
without  lunging  at  him  with  her  hind  heels,  in  an 
exceedingly  dangerous  fashion. 

But  spiritual  means  also  were  not  neglected. 
The  meeting-house  was  very  near,  and  the  mare 
was  brought  over  regularly  when  there  were 
religious  services,  and  fastened  in  the  near  vicinity 
of  the  other  more  sober  and  orthodox  horses,  that 
she  might  learn  how  to  behave  and  perhaps  the 
evil  spirit  be  thus  induced  to  abandon  one  so  con 
stantly  exposed  to  the  doubtless  unpleasant 
sounds  (to  it)  of  psalm  and  prayer  and  sermon. 

A  horse  is  an  imitative  animal,  and  very  sus 
ceptible  to  impressions, — both  of  a  material  and 
a  mental  character — and  I  must  confess  that  these 
proceedings  of  the  minister's  were  very  well 
adapted  to  the  object  he  had  in  view. 

The  minister  also  had  gone  farther — but  of  this 
no  one  at  the  time  knew  but  himself.  He  had 
gone  into  the  stable  on  a  certain  evening,  when  his 
servant  John  Indian  was  off  on  an  errand;  and 
had  pronounced  a  prayer  over  the  possessed  animal 
winding  up  with  an  exorcism  which  ought  to  have 


152  Dulcibel. 

been  sufficient  to  banish  any  reasonable  devil,  not 
only  from  the  mare,  but  from  the  neighborhood. 
As  he  concluded,  what  seemed  to  be  a  huge  crea 
ture,  with  outstretched  wings,  had  buffeted  him 
over  the  ears,  and  then  disappeared  through  the 
open  window  of  the  stable.  The  creature  was  in 
the  form  of  a  big  bat;  but  then  it  was  well  known 
that  this  was  one  of  the  forms  which  evil  spirits 
were  most  fond  of  assuming. 

The  minister  therefore  had  strong  reasons  for 
supposing  that  the  good  work  was  now  accom 
plished;  and  that  he  should  find  the  mare  here 
after  a  Susannah  not  only  in  name  but  in  nature— 
a  black  lily,  as  it  were.  But  of  course  this  could 
not  be  certainly  told,  unless  some  one  should 
attempt  to  ride  her;  and  he  suggested  it  one  day  to 
John  Indian.  But  John  Indian — unknown  to 
anybody  but  himself — had  already  tried  the 
experiment;  and  after  a  fierce  contest,  was  sat 
isfied  with  his  share  of  the  glory.  His  answer 
was:— 

"No,  no,  master — debbil  hab  no  'spect  for 
Indian  man.  Master  he  good  man!  gospel  man! 
debbil  'fraid  of  him — him  too  much  for  debbil!" 

This  seemed  very  reasonable  for  a  poor,  untu 
tored  Indian.  Mistress  Parris,  too,  said  that  she 


Exorcising  "Little  Witch."       153 


was  certain  he  could  succeed  if  any  one  could. 
The  evil  spirits  would  be  careful  how  they  con 
ducted  themselves  towards  such  a  highly  respected 
and  godly  minister  as  her  revered  husband. 
Several  of  her  acquaintances,  pious  and  orthodox 
goodwives  of  the  village,  said  the  same  thing. 
Master  Parris  thought  he  was  a  very  good  horse 
man  besides;  and  began  to  take  the  same  view. 
There  was  the  horse,  and  he  was  the  man! 

So  one  afternoon  John  Indian  saddled  and 
bridled  the  mare,  and  brought  her  up  to  the  horse 
block.  Susannah  had  allowed  herself  to  be 
saddled  without  the  slightest  manifestation  of 
ill-humor;  probably  the  idea  of  stretching  her 
limbs  a  little,  was  decidedly  pleasant  in  view  of 
the  small  amount  of  exercise  she  had  taken 
lately. 

But  the  wisest  plan  was  not  thought  of.  The 
minister's  niece,  Abigail  Williams — one  of  the 
"afflicted" — had  looked  upon  the  black  mare  with 
longing  eyes;  and  if  she  had  made  the  experiment, 
it  probably  would  have  been  successful.  But 
they  did  not  surmise  that  it  might  be  the  man's 
saddle  and  mode  of  riding,  to  which  the  animal 
was  entirely  unaccustomed,  that  were  at  the  bot 
tom  of  the  difficulty.  And,  besides,  Master  Parris 


154  Dulcibel. 

wanted  the  mare  for  his  own  riding,  not  for  the 
women  folks  of  his  household. 

Detained  by  various  matters,  it  was  not  until 
quite  late  in  the  afternoon,  that  the  minister  found 
time  to  try  the  experiment  of  riding  the  now 
unbewitched  animal.  It  was  getting  too  near 
night  to  ride  very  far,  but  he  could  at  least  try 
a  short  ride  of  a  mile  or  so;  which  perhaps  would 
be  better  for  the  first  attempt  than  a  longer  one. 
So  he  came  out  to  the  horse-block,  attended  by  his 
wife  and  Abigail  Williams,  and  a  couple  of  parish 
ioners  who  had  been  holding  a  consultation  with 
him,  but  had  stopped  a  moment  to  see  him  ride 
off  upon  the  animal  of  which  so  many  marvelous 
stories  had  been  told. 

"Yes,"  said  the  minister,  as  he  came  out  to  the 
horse-block,  in  answer  to  a  remark  made  by  one 
of  his  visitors,  "I  think  I  have  been  able  with  the 
Lord's  help,  to  redeem  this  animal  and  make  her 
a  useful  member  of  society.  You  will  observe  that 
she  now  manifests  none  of  that  viciousness  for 
which  formerly  she  was  so  noted." 

The  mare  did  stand  as  composedly  and  peace 
fully  as  the  most  dignified  minister  could  desire. 

"You  will  remember  that  she  has  never  been 
ridden  by  any  one,  man  or  woman,  save  her  witch 


Exorcising  "Little  Witch."       155 

mistress  Dulcibel — Jezebel,  I  think  would  be  a 
more  fitting  name  for  her,  considering  her 
wicked  doings." 

Here  Master  Parris  took  the  bridle  rein  from 
John  Indian  and  threw  his  right  leg  over  the  animal. 
As  the  foot  and  leg  came  down  on  that  side,  and 
the  stirrup  gave  her  a  smart  crack,  the  mare's  ears, 
which  had  been  pricked  up,  went  backwards  and 
she  began  to  prance  around,  John  Indian  still 
holding  her  by  the  mouth. 

"Let  her  go,  John,"  said  the  minister;  "she 
does  not  like  to  be  held,"  and  he  tightened  the  rein. 

John,  by  his  master's  orders,  had  put  on  a  curb- 
bit;  in  place  of  the  easy  snaffle  to  which  the  mare 
had  always  been  accustomed.  And  now  as  the 
minister  tightened  the  rein,  and  the  chain  of  the 
curb  began  to  press  upon  and  pain  the  mouth  of  the 
sensitive  creature,  she  began  to  back  and  rear  in  a 
most  excited  fashion. 

"Loose  de  rein!"  cried  John  Indian. 

The  minister  did  so.  But  the  animal  now  was 
fully  alarmed;  and  no  loosening  or  tightening 
would  avail  much.  She  was  her  old  self  again — 

O 

as  bewitched  as  ever.  She  reared,  she  plunged, 
she  kicked,  she  sidled,  and  went  through  all  the 
motions,  which,  on  previous  occasions,  she  had 


156  Dulcibel. 

always  found  eventually  successful  in  ridding  her 
back  of  its  undesired  burden. 

"Oh,  do  get  off  of  the  wild  beast,"  cried  Mistress 

7  O 

Parris,  in  great  alarm. 

"She  is  still  bewitched,"  cried  Abigail  Williams. 
*'I  see  a  spectre  now,  tormenting  her  with  a  pitch 
fork." 

"Oh,  Samuel,  you  will  be  killed! — do  get  off 
that  crazy  beast!"  again  cried  weeping  Mistress 
Parris. 

"'Get  off!'  yes!"  thought  the  minister;  "but 
how  am  I  going  to  do  it,  with  the  beast  plunging 
and  tearing  in  this  fashion  ?"  The  animal 
evidently  wanted  him  off,  and  he  was  very  anxious 
to  get  off;  but  she  would  not  hold  still  long  enough 
for  him  to  dismount  peaceably. 

"Hold  her  while  I  dismount!"  he  cried  to  John 
Indian.  But  when  John  Indian  came  near  to  take 
hold  of  the  rein  by  her  mouth,  the  mare  snapped  at 
him  viciously  with  her  teeth;  and  then  wheeled 
around  and  flung  out  her  heels  at  his  head,  in  the 
most  embarrassing  manner. 

Finally,  as  with  a  new  idea,  the  mare  started 
down  the  lane  at  a  quick  gallop,  turned  to  the 
left,  where  a  rivulet  had  been  damned  up  into  a 
little  pond  not  more  than  two  feet  deep,  and 


Exorcising  "Little  Witch."      157 

plunged  into  the  water,  splashing  it  up  around 
her  like  a  many  jetted  fountain. 

By  this  time,  the  minister,  being  only  human, 
naturally  was  very  angry;  and  commenced  lashing 
her  sides  with  his  riding  whip  to  get  her  into  the 
lane  again.  This  made  the  fiery  little  creature 
perfectly  desperate,  and  she  reared  up  and  back 
wards,  until  she  came  down  plump  into  the  water; 
so  that,  if  the  saddle  girth  had  not  broken,  and  the 
saddle  come  off,  and  the  minister  with  it,  she 
might  have  tumbled  upon  him  and  perhaps 
seriously  hurt  him.  But,  as  it  was,  no  great 
damage  was  done;  and  the  bridle  also  breaking, 
the  mare  spit  the  bit  out  of  her  mouth,  and  went 
down  the  lane  in  a  run  to  the  road,  and  thence  on 
into  the  now  fast-gathering  night,  no  one  could 
see  whither. 

Mistress  Parris,  John  Indian  and  the  rest  were 
by  this  time  at  the  side  of  the  pond,  and  ready  to 
receive  the  chapfallen  minister  as  he  emerged  with 
the  saddle  and  the  broken  bridle  from  the  water. 

"You  are  a  sight,  Samuel  Parris!"  said  his 
wife,  in  that  pleasant  tone  with  which  many  wives 
are  apt  to  receive  their  liege  lords  upon  such 
unpleasant  occasions.  "Do  get  into  the  house  at 
once.  You  will  catch  your  death  of  cold,  I  know. 


158  Dulcibel. 

And  such  a  mess  your  clothes  will  be!  But  I  only 
wonder  you  are  not  killed — trying  to  ride  a  mad 
witch's  horse  like  that  is." 

The  minister  made  no  reply.  The  situation 
transcended  words.  And  did  not  allow  even  of 
sympathy,  as  his  visitors  evidently  thought — not 
at  least  until  he  got  on  some  clean  and  dry  clothes. 
So  they  simply  shook  their  heads,  and  took  their 
course  homewards.  While  the  bedraggled  and 
dripping  Master  Parris  made  his  way  to  th?  house 
wiping  the  water  and  mud  from  his  face  with  his 
wife's  handkerchief,  and  stopping  to  shake  him 
self  well,  before  he  entered  the  door,  lest,  as  his 
wife  said,  "he  should  spoil  everything  in  his 
chamber." 

Abigail  Williams,  when  she  went  to  see  Mistress 
Ann  Putnam  that  night,  had  a  marvelous  tale  to 
tell;  which  in  the  course  of  the  next  day,  went  like 
wildfire  through  the  village,  growing  still  more  and 
more  marvelous  as  it  went. 

Abigail  had  seen,  as  I  have  already  said,  the 
spectre  of  a  witch  goading  the  furious  animal  with 
a  pitchfork.  When  the  horse  tore  down  the  lane, 
it  came  to  the  little  brook  and  of  course  could  not 
cross  it — for  a  witch  cannot  cross  running  water. 
Therefore,  in  its  new  access  of  fury,  it  sprang  into 


Exorcising  "Little  Witch."       159 

the  pond — and  threw  off  the  minister.  Abigail 
further  declared  that  then,  dashing  down  the  lane 
it  came  to  the  gate  which  shut  it  off  from  the  road, 
and  took  the  gate  in  a  flying  leap.  But  the  animal 
never  came  down  again.  It  was  getting  quite  dark 
then,  but  she  could  still  plainly  see  that  a  witch 
was  upon  its  back,  belaboring  it  with  a  broom 
stick.  And  she  knew  very  well  who  that  witch 
was.  It  was  the  "spectre"  of  Dulcibel  Burton — 
for  it  had  a  scarlet  bodice  on,  just  such  as  Dulcibel 
nearly  always  wore.  They  two — the  mare  and  its 
rider — went  off  sailing  up  into  the  sky,  and  dis 
appeared  behind  a  black  cloud.  And  Abigail  was 
almost  certain  that  just  as  they  reached  the  cloud, 
there  was  a  low  rumbling  like  thunder. 

It  was  noticeable  that  every  time  Abigail  told 
this  story,  she  remembered  something  that  she 
had  not  before  thought  of;  until  in  the  course  of  a 
week  or  two,  there  were  very  few  stories  in  the 
"Arabian  Nights"  that  could  surpass  it  in  mar- 
velousness. 

As  the  mare  had  not  returned  to  her  old  stable 
at  Goodman  Buckley's,  and  could  not  be  heard 
of  in  any  other  direction,  Abigail's  story  began  to 
commend  itself  even  to  the  older  and  cooler  heads 
of  the  village.  For  if  the  elfish  creature  had  not 

o 


160  Dulcibel. 

vanished  in  the  black  cloud,  to  the  sound  of  thun 
der,  where  was  she  ? 

Joseph  Putnam,  and  his  household  however 
held  a  different  view  of  the  subject,  but  they 
wisely  kept  their  own  counsel;  though  they  had 
many  a  sly  joke  among  themselves  at  the  credulity 
of  their  neighbors.  They  knew  that  a  little  while 
after  dark,  a  strange  noise  had  been  heard  at  the 
barn,  and  that  one  of  the  hired  men  going  out, 
had  found  Dulcibel's  horse,  without  saddle  or 
bridle,  pawing  at  the  door  of  the  stable  for  admis 
sion.  As  this  was  a  place  the  animal  had  been  in 
the  habit  of  coming  to,  and  where  she  was  always 
well  treated  and  even  petted,  it  was  very  natural 
that  she  should  fly  here  from  her  persecutors,  as 
she  doubtless  considered  them. 

Upon  being  told  of  it,  and  not  knowing  what  had 
occurred  Master  Joseph  thought  it  most  prudent 
not  to  put  the  animal  into  his  stable,  but  ordered 
the  man  to  get  half-a-peck  of  oats,  and  some  hay, 
and  take  the  mare  to  a  small  cow-pen,  in  the  woods 
in  an  out  of  the  way  place,  where  she  might  be 
for  years,  and  no  one  outside  his  own  people  be  any 
the  wiser  for  it.  The  mare  seemed  quite  docile, 
and  was  easily  led,  being  in  company  with  the  oats, 
of  which  a  handful  occasionally  was  given  to  her; 


Exorcising  "Little  Witch."       161 


and  so,  being  watered  at  a  stream  near  by  and  fed 
daily,  she  was  no  doubt  far  more  comfortable  than 
she  would  have  been  in  the  black  cloud  that  Abi 
gail  Williams  was  perfectly  ready  to  swear  she  had 
seen  her  enter  and  where  though  there  might  be 
plenty  of  water,  oats  doubtless  were  not  often 
meet  with. 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

Master  Raymond  Also  Complains  of  an 
"Evil  Hand." 

Master  Raymond  had  everything  now  prepared 
upon  his  part,  and  was  awaiting  a  message  from 
Captain  Alden,  to  the  effect  that  he  had  made  a 
positive  engagement  with  the  Danish  captain. 

He  had  caught  a  serious  cold  on  his  return  from 
Boston  and,  turning  the  matter  over  in  his  mind — 
for  it  is  a  wise  thing  to  try  to  get  some  good  result 
out  of  even  apparently  evil  occurrences — he  had 
called  in  the  village  doctor. 

But  the  good  Doctor's  medicine  did  not  seem 
to  work  as  it  ought  to — for  one  reason,  Master 
Raymond  regularly  emptied  the  doses  out  of  the 
window;  thinking  as  he  told  Master  Joseph,  to  put 
them  where  they  would  do  the  most  good.  And 
when  the  Doctor  came,  and  found  that  neither 
purging  nor  vomiting  had  been  produced,  these 
with  bleeding  and  sweating  being  the  great  pan 
aceas  of  that  day — as  perhaps  of  this — he  was 
naturally  astonished.  In  a  case  where  neither 
castor  oil,  senna  and  manna,  nor  large  doses  of 
Glauber's  salts  would  work,  a  medical  man  was 

162 


An  "Evil  Hand."  163 

certainly  justified  in  thinking  that  something  must 
be  wrong. 

Master  Raymond  suggested  whether  "an  evil 
hand"  might  not  be  upon  him.  This  was  the 
common  explanation  at  that  time  in  Salem  and 
its  neighborhood."  The  doctors  and  the  drug 
gists  now-a-days  miss  a  great  deal  in  not  having 
such  an  excuse  made  ready  to  their  hands — it 
would  account  alike  for  adulterated  drugs  and 
ill-judged  remedies. 

Master  Raymond  had  the  reputation  of  being 
rich,  and  the  Doctor  had  been  mortified  by  the 
bad  behavior  of  his  medicines — for  if  a  patient 
be  not  cured,  if  he  is  at  least  vigorously  handled, 
there  seems  to  be  something  that  can  with  propriety 
be  heavily  charged  for.  But  if  a  doctor  does 
nothing — neither  cures,  nor  anything  else — with 
what  face  can  he  bring  in  a  weighty  bill  ? 

And  so  good  Doctor  Griggs  readily  acquiesced 
in  his  patient's  supposition  that  "an  evil  hand," 
was  at  work,  and  even  suggested  that  he  should 
bring  Abigail  Williams  or  some  other  "afflicted" 
girl  with  him  the  next  time  he  came,  to  see  with 
her  sharpened  eyes  who  it  was  that  was  bewitching 
him. 

But   Master   Raymond   declined   the   offer — at 


164  Dulcibel. 

least  for  the  present.  If  the  thing  continued,  and 
grew  worse,  he  might  be  able  himself  to  see  who  it 
was.  Why  should  he  not  be  as  able  to  do  it  as 
Abigail  Williams,  or  any  other  of  the  "  afflicted " 
circle  ?  Of  course  the  doctor  was  not  able  to 
answer  why;  there  seemed  to  be  no  good  reason 
why  one  set  of  "afflicted"  people  should  have  a 
monopoly  of  the  accusing  business. 

Of  course  this  came  very  quickly  from  the  Doc 
tor  to  Mistress  Ann  Putnam — for  he  was  a  regular 
attendant  of  that  lady,  whose  nervous  system 
indeed  was  in  a  fearful  state  by  this  time.  And  she 
puzzled  a  good  deal  over  it.  Did  Master  Ray 
mond  intend  to  accuse  anyone  ?  Who  was  it  ? 
Or  was  it  merely  a  hint  thrown  out,  that  it  was  a 
game  that  two  parties  could  play  at  ? 

But  then  she  smiled — she  had  the  two  ministers, 
and  through  them  all  the  other  ministers  of  the 
colony — the  magistrates  and  judges — and  the 
advantages  of  the  original  position.  Imitators 
always  failed.  Still  she  rather  liked  the  young 
man's  craft  and  boldness — Joseph  Putnam  would 
never  have  thought  of  such  a  thing.  But  still  let 
him  beware  how  he  attempted  to  thwart  her  plans. 
He  would  soon  find  that  she  was  the  stronger. 

Joseph  Putnam  then  began  to  answer  inquiries 


An  "Evil  Hand."  165 

as  to  the  health  of  his  guest, — that  he  was  not 
much  better,  and  thought  somewhat  of  going 
up  to  Boston  for  further  medical  advice — as  the 
medicines  given  him  so  far  did  not  seem  to  work  as 
well  as  they  should  do." 

"  Could  he  bear  the  ride  ? " 

"Oh,  very  well  indeed — his  illness  had  not  so 
far  affected  his  strength  much." 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 
Master  Raymond's  Little  Plan  Blocked. 

"Our  game  is  blocked!"  said  Joseph  Putnam  to 
Master  Raymond  as  he  rode  up  one  afternoon  soon 
after,  and  dismounted  at  the  garden  gate,  where 
his  guest  was  awaiting  him,  impatient  to  hear  if 
anything  had  yet  come  from  Captain  Alden. 

"What  do  you  mean  ?"  said  his  guest. 

"  Mean  ?  Why,  that  yon  she-wolf  is  too  much 
for  us.  Captain  Alden  is  arrested!" 

"What!  Captain  John  Alden!" 

"Yes,  Captain  John  Alden!" 

"On    what    charge?" 

Master  Joseph  smiled  grimly,  "For  witchcraft!" 

"Nonsense!" 

"Yes,  devilish  nonsense!  but  true  as  gospel, 
nevertheless." 

"And  he  submits  to  it  ?" 

"With  all  around  him  crazy,  he  cannot  help  it. 
Besides,  as  an  officer  of  the  government,  he  must 
submit  to  the  laws." 

"On  whose  complaint?" 

"Oh,  the  she-wolf's  of  course — that  delectable 
smooth-spoken  wife  of  my  brother  Thomas.  How 

166 


Raymond's  Little  Plan  Blocked.  167 

any  man  can  love  a  catty  creature  like  that,  beats 
me  out." 

"I  suppose  she  found  out  that  I  went  frequently 
to  see  the  Captain,  when  in  Boston  ?" 

"I  suppose  so." 

"Who  could  have  informed  her  ?" 

"Her  master,  the  devil,  I  suppose." 

"Where  is  the  Captain  to  be  examined  ?" 

"Oh,  here  in  Salem,  where  his  accusers  are. 
It  comes  off  tomorrow.  They  lose  no  time  you 
see." 

"Well,  I  would  not  have  believed  it  possible. 
Whom  will  they  attack  next  ? " 

"The  Governor,  I  suppose,"  replied  Master 
Joseph  satirically. 

"Or  you?" 

"If  she  does,  I'll  run  my  sword  through  her— 
not  as  being  a  woman,  but  as  a  foul  fiend.  I  told 
her  so.  Let  her  dare  to  touch  me,  or  any  one 
under  this  roof!" 

"What  did  she  say  when  you  threatened  her  ?" 

"She  put  on  an  injured  expression;  and  said 
she  could  never  believe  anything  wrong  of  her 
dear  husband's  family,  if  all  the  'spectres'  in  the 
world  told  her  so. " 

"Well,  I  hope  you  are  safe,  but  as  for  me — " 


i68  Dulcibel. 

"Oh,  you  are,  too.  You  are  within  my  gates. 
To  touch  you,  is  to  touch  me.  She  fully  realizes 
that.  Besides  brother  Thomas  is  her  abject  tool 
in  most  things;  but  some  things  even  he  would  not 
allow." 

Yes,  Captain  John  Alden,  son  of  that  John  Alden 
who  was  told  by  the  pretty  Puritan  maiden, 
"  Speak  for  yourself  John,"  when  he  went  pleading 
the  love-suit  of  his  friend  Captain  Miles  Standish; 
John  Alden,  captain  of  the  only  vessel  of  war 
belonging  to  the  colony,  a  man  of  large  property, 
and  occupying  a  place  in  the  very  front  rank  of 
Boston  society,  had  been  arrested  for  witchcraft! 
What  a  state  of  insanity  the  religious  delusion  had 
reached,  can  be  seen  by  this  high-handed  proceed 
ing. 

Here  again  we  come  on  to  ground  in  which  the 
details  given  in  the  old  manuscript  book,  are  fully 
confirmed,  in  every  essential  particular  by  existing 
public  records.  Mr.  Upham,  whose  admirable 
account  of  "Salem  Witchcraft"  has  been  of  great 
aid  to  me  in  the  preparation  of  this  volume,  is 
evidently  puzzled  to  account  for  Captain  Alden's 
arrest.  He  is  not  able  to  see  how  the  gallant 
Captain  could  have  excited  the  ire  of  the  "afflicted 
circle."  He  seems  to  have  been  entirely  ignorant 


Raymond's  Little  Plan  Blocked.  169 

of  this  case  of  Dulcibel  Burton — hers  doubtless 
being  one  of  the  many  cases  in  which  the  official 
records  were  purposely  destroyed.  If  he  had 
known  of  this  case,  he  would  have  seen  the  con 
nection  between  it  and  Captain  Alden.  It  also 
might  have  explained  the  continual  allusions  to  the 
"yellow  bird"  in  so  many  of  the  trials — based 
possibly  on  Dulcibel's  canary,  which  had  been 
given  to  her  by  the  Captain,  and  whose  habit  of 
kissing  her  lips  with  its  little  bill  had  appeared  so 
mysterious  and  diabolical  to  the  superstitious 
inhabitants  of  Salem  village. 

Master  Raymond's  health,  as  is  not  to  be  won 
dered  at,  had  improved  sufficiently  by  the  next 
day,  to  allow  of  his  accompanying  Joseph  Put 
nam  to  the  village,  to  attend  Captain  Alden's 
examination.  The  meeting-house  was  even  more 
crowded  than  usual,  such  was  the  absorbing  in 
terest  taken  in  the  case,  owing  to  the  Captain's 
high  standing  in  the  province. 

The  veteran  Captain's  own  brief  account  of 
this  matter,  which  has  come  down  to  us,  does  not 
go  into  many  details,  and  is  valuable  mainly  as 
showing  that  he  regarded  it  very  much  in  the 
same  light  that  it  is  regarded  now — owing  probably 
to  the  fact  that  while  a  church  member  in  good 


170  Dulcibel. 

standing,  he  doubtless  was  a  good  deal  better 
seaman  than  church  member.  For  he  says  he 
was  "sent  for  by  the  Magistrates  of  Salem,  upon 
the  accusation  of  a  company  of  poor  distracted  or 
possessed  creatures  or  witches."  And  he  speaks 
further  of  them  as  "wenches  who  played  their 
juggling  tricks,  falling  down,  crying  out,  and 
staring  in  people's  faces." 

The  worthy  Captain's  account  is  however,  as  I 
have  said,  very  brief — and  has  the  tone  of  one  who 
had  been  a  participant,  however  unwillingly,  in  a 
grossly  shameful  affair,  alike  disgraceful  to  the 
colony  and  to  everybody  concerned  in  it.  For 
some  additional  details,  I  am  indebted  to  the 
manuscript  volume. 

Captain  Alden  had  not  been  arrested  in  Boston. 
He  says  himself  in  his  statement,  that  "  he  was  sent 
to  Salem  by  Mr.  Stoughton" — the  Deputy  Gov 
ernor,  and  Chief-Justice  of  the  Special  Court  that 
had  condemned  and  executed  Bridget  Bishop,  and 
which  was  now  about  to  meet  again. 

Before  the  meeting  of  the  magistrates,  Master 
Raymond  had  managed  to  have  a  few  words  with 
him  in  private,  and  found  that  no  arrangements 
with  any  skipper  had  yet  been  made.  The  first 
negotiations  had  fallen  through,  and  there  was  no 


Raymond's  Little  Plan  Blocked.    171 

other  foreign  vessel  at  that  time  in  port  whose 
master  possessed  what  Captain  Alden  considered 
the  requisite  trustworthiness  and  daring.  For  he 
wanted  a  skipper  that  would  show  fight  if  he  was 
pursued  and  overtaken;  not  that  any  actual 
fighting  would  probably  be  necessary,  for  a  simple 
show  of  resistance  would  doubtless  be  all  that  was 
needed. 

"When  I  get  back  to  Boston,  I  think  I  shall  be 
able  to  arrange  matters  in  the  course  of  a  week  or 
two." 

"What — in  Boston  jail?"  queried  Master  Ray 
mond. 

"You  do  not  suppose  the  magistrates  will 
commit  me  on  such  a  trumped-up  nonsensical 
charge  as  this  ?"  said  the  stout  old  captain  indig 
nantly. 

"Indeed  I  do,"  was  the  reply. 

"Why,  there  is  not  a  particle  of  truth  in  it.  I 
never  saw  these  girls.  I  never  even  heard  of  their 
being  in  existence." 

"Oh,  that  makes  no  difference." 

"The  devil  it  doesn't!"  said  the  old  man,  hotly. 
My  readers  must  remember  that  he  was  a  seaman. 

Here  the  sheriff  came  up  and  told  the  Captain  he 
was  wanted. 


CHAPTER  XXV. 
Captain  Alden  before  the  Magistrates. 

There  was  an  additional  magistrate  sitting  on 
this  occasion,  Master  Bartholomew  Gedney— 
making  three  in  all. 

Mistress  Ann  Putnam,  the  she-wolf,  as  her 
young  brother-in-law  had  called  her,  was  not 
present  among  the  accusers — leaving  the  part  of 
the  "afflicted"  to  be  played  by  the  other  and 
younger  members  of  the  circle. 

There  was  another  Captain  present,  also  a 
stranger,  a  Captain  Hill;  and  he  being  also  a  tall 
man,  perplexed  some  of  the  girls  at  first.  One 
even  pointed  at  him,  until  she  was  better  informed 
in  a  whisper  by  a  man  who  was  holding  her  up. 
And  then  she  cried  out  that  it  was  "  Alden !  Alden ! " 
who  was  afflicting  her. 

At  length  one  of  the  magistrates  ordering  Cap 
tain  Alden  to  stand  upon  a  chair,  there  was  no 
further  trouble  upon  that  point;  and  the  usual 
demonstrations  began.  As  the  accused  naturally 
looked  upon  the  "afflicted"  girls,  they  went  off 
into  spasms,  shrieks  and  convulsions.  This  was 

nearly  always  the  first  proceeding,  as  it  created 

172 


Before  the  Magistrates.  173 


a  profound  sympathy  for  them,  and  was  almost 
sufficient  of  itself  to  condemn  the  accused. 

"The  tall  man  is  pinching  me!" 

"Oh,  he  is  choking  me!" 

"He  is  choking  me!  do  hold  his  hands!" 

"He  stabs  me  with  his  sword — oh,  take  it  away 
from  him!" 

Such  were  the  exclamations  that  came  from  the 
writhing  and  convulsed  girls. 

"Turn  away  his  head!  and  hold  his  hands!" 
cried  Squire  Hathorne.  "Take  away  his  sword!" 
said  Squire  Gedney  while  the  old  Captain  grew 
red  and  wrathful  at  the  babel  around  him,  and  at 
the  indignities  to  which  he  was  subject. 

"Captain  Alden,  why  do  you  torment  these  poor 
girls  who  never  injured  you?" 

"Torment  them! — you  see  I  am  not  touching 
them.  I  do  not  even  know  them;  I  never  saw 
them  before  in  my  life,"  growled  the  indignant  old 
seaman. 

"See!  there  is  the  little  yellow  bird  kissing  his 
lips ! "  cried  Abigail  Williams.  "  Now  it  is  whisper 
ing  into  his  ear.  It  is  bringing  him  a  message  from 
the  other  witch  Dulcibel  Burton.  See!  see! there 
it  goes  back  again  to  her — through  the  window!" 

So  well  was  this  done,  that  probably  half  of  the 


174  Dulcibel. 

people  present  would  have  been  willing  to  swear 
the  next  day,  that  they  actually  saw  the  yellow 
bird  as  she  described  it. 

"  Ask  him  if  he  did  not  give  her  the  yellow  bird, " 
said  Leah  Herrick.  "But  probably  he  will  lie 
about  it." 

"Did  you  not  give  the  witch,  Dulcibel  Burton, 
a  yellow  bird,  which  is  one  of  her  familiars?" 
said  Squire  Hathorne  sternly. 

"I  gave  her  a  canary  bird  that  I  brought  from 
the  West  Indies,  if  that  is  what  you  mean," 
replied  the  Captain.  "But  what  harm  was  there 
in  that?" 

"I  knew  it!  The  yellow  bird  told  me  so,  when  it 
came  to  peck  out  my  eyes,"  cried  Mercy  Lewis. 
"Oh!  there  it  is  again!"  and  she  struck  wildly  into 
the  air  before  her  face.  "Drive  it  away!  Do  drive 
it  away,  some  one!" 

Here  a  young  man  pulled  out  his  rapier,  and 
began  thrusting  at  the  invisible  bird  in  a  furious 
manner. 

"Now  it  comes  to  me!"  cried  Sarah  Churchill. 
And  then  the  other  girls  also  cried  out,  and  began 
striking  into  the  air  before  their  faces,  till  there 
was  anew  a  perfect  babel  of  cries,  shrieks  and 
sympathizing  voices. 


Before  the  Magistrates.         175 

Master  Raymond,  amid  all  his  indignation  at 
such  barefaced  and  wicked  and  yet  successful 
imposture,  could  hardly  avoid  smiling  at  the 
expression  of  the  old  seaman's  face  as  he  stood  on 
the  chair,  and  fronted  all  this  tempest  of  absurd 
and  villainous  accusation.  At  first  there  had  been 
a  deep  crimson  glow  of  the  hottest  wrath  upon  the 
old  man's  cheeks  and  brow;  but  now  he  seemed 
to  have  been  shocked  into  a  kind  of  stupor,  so 
unexpected  and  weighty  were  the  charges  against 
him,  and  made  with  such  vindictive  fierceness; 
and  yet  so  utterly  absurd,  while  at  the  same  time, 
so  impossible  of  being  refuted. 

"  He  bought  the  yellow  bird  from  Tituba's 
mother — her  spectre  told  me  so!"  cried  Abigail 
Williams. 

"What  do  you  say  to  that,  Master  Alden  ?" 
said  Squire  Gedney.  "That  is  a  serious  charge." 

"I  never  saw  any  Tituba  or  her  mother," 
exclaimed  the  Captain,  again  growing  indignant. 

"  Who  then  did  you  buy  the  witch's  familiar  of  ? " 
asked  Squire  Hathorne. 

"I  do  not  know — some  old  negro  wench!" 

Here  the  magistrates  looked  at  each  other 
sagely,  and  nodded  their  wooden  heads.  It  was 
a  fatal  admission.  "You  had  better  confess  all, 


176  Dulcibel. 

and  give  glory  to  God!"  said  Squire  Gedney 
solemnly. 

"  I  trust  I  shall  always  be  ready  to  give  glory 
to  God,"  answered  the  old  man  stoutly;  "but  I 
do  not  see  that  it  would  glorify  Him  to  confess  to  a 
pack  of  lies.  You  have  known  me  for  many 
years,  Master  Gedney,  but  did  you  ever  know  me 
to  speak  an  untruth,  or  seek  to  injure  any  innocent 
persons,  much  less  women  and  children  ?" 

Squire  Gedney  said  that  he  had  known  the 
accused  many  years,  and  had  even  been  at  sea  with 
him,  and  had  always  supposed  him  to  be  an  honest 
man;  but  now  he  saw  good  cause  to  alter  that 
judgment. 

"Turn  and  look  now  again  upon  those  afflicted 
persons,"  concluded  Squire  Gedney. 

As  the  accused  turned  and  again  looked  upon 
them,  all  of  the  "afflicted"  fell  down  on  the  floor 
as  if  he  had  struck  them  a  heavy  blow — moaning 
and  crying  out  against  him. 

"I  judge  you  by  your  works;  and  believe  you 
now  to  be  a  wicked  man  and  a  witch,"  said  Squire 
Gedney  in  a  very  severe  tone. 

Captain  Alden  turned  then  and  looked  directly 
at  the  magistrate  for  several  moments.  "Why 
does  not  my  look  knock  you  down  too  ?"  he  said 


Before  the  Magistrates.         177 

indignantly.  "If  it  hurts  them  so  much,  would  it 
not  hurt  you  a  little?" 

"  He  wills  it  not  to  hurt  you, "  cried  Leah  Her- 
rick.  "  He  is  looking  at  you,  but  his  spectre  has  its 
back  towards  you." 

There  was  quite  a  roar  of  applause  through  the 
crowded  house  at  such  an  exposure  of  the  old 
Captain's  trickery.  He  was  very  cunning  to  be 
sure;  but  the  "afflicted"  girls  could  see  through 
his  knavery. 

"Make  him  touch  the  poor  girls,"  said  the 
Reverend  Master  Noyes.  For  it  was  the  accepted 
theory  that  by  doing  this,  the  witch,  in  spite  of 
himself,  reabsorbed  into  his  own  body  the  devilish 
energy  that  had  gone  out  of  him,  and  the  afflicted 
were  healed.  This  was  repeatedly  done  through 
the  progress  of  these  examinations  and  the  after 
trials;  and  was  always  found  to  be  successful,  both 
as  a  cure  of  the  sufferers,  and  an  undeniable  proof 
that  the  person  accused  was  really  a  witch. 

In  this  case  the  "afflicted"  girls  were  brought  up 
to  Captain  Alden,  one  after  the  other  and  upon  his 
being  made  to  touch  them  with  his  hand,  they 
invariably  drew  a  deep  breath  of  relief,  and  said 
they  felt  entirely  well  again. 

"You  see  Captain  Alden,"  said  Squire  Gedney 


I78  Dulcibel. 

solemnly,  "none  of  the  tests  fail  in  your  case.  If 
there  were  only  one  proof,  we  might  doubt;  but 
as  the  Scripture  says,  by  the  mouths  of  two  or  three 
witnesses  shall  the  truth  be  established.  If  you 
were  innocent  a  just  God  would  not  allow  you  to  be 
overcome  in  this  manner." 

"  I  know  that  there  is  a  just  God,  and  I  know  that 
I  am  entirely  innocent"  replied  the  noble  old  sea 
man  in  a  firm  voice.  "  But  it  is  not  for  an  unin 
spired  man  like  me,  to  attempt  to  reconcile  the 
mysteries  of  His  providence.  Far  better  men 
than  I  am,  even  prophets  and  apostles,  have  been 
brought  before  magistrates  and  judges,  and  their 
good  names  lied  away,  and  they  condemned  to  the 
prison  and  the  scaffold  and  the  cross.  Why  then, 
should  I  expect  to  fare  better  than  they  did  ?  All 
I  can  do,  like  Job  of  old,  is  to  maintain  my  integ 
rity — even  though  Satan  and  all  his  imps  be  let 
loose  for  a  time  against  me." 

Here  the  Reverend  Master  Noyes  rose  excit 
edly,  and  said  that  the  decisions  of  heathen  courts 
and  judges  were  one  thing;  and  the  decisions  of 
godly  magistrates,  who  were  all  members  of  the 
church  of  the  true  God,  and  therefore  inspired  by 
his  spirit,  was  a  very  different  thing.  He  said  it 
was  simply  but  another  proof  of  the  guilt  of  the 


Before  the  Magistrates.        179 

accused,  that  he  should  compare  himself  with  the 
apostles  and  the  martyrs;  and  these  worshipful 
Christian  magistrates  with  heathen  magistrates 
and  judges.  Hearing  him  talk  in  this  ribald  way, 
he  could  no  longer  doubt  the  accusation  brought 
against  him;  for  there  was  no  surer  proof  of  a  man 
or  woman  having  dealings  with  Satan,  than  to 
defame  and  calumniate  God's  chosen  people. 

As  Mr.  Noyes  took  his  seat,  the  magistrates  said 
they  had  heard  sufficient,  and  ordered  the  com 
mittal  of  the  accused  to  Boston  prison  to  awaittrial. 

"  I  will  give  bail  for  Captain  Alden's  appearance, 
to  the  whole  amount  of  my  estate,"  said  Joseph 
Putnam  coming;  forward.  "A  man  of  his  age, 

o  o     * 

who  has  served  the  colony  in  so  many  important 
positions,  should  be  treated  with  some  leniency." 

"We  are  very  sorry  for  the  Captain,"  answered 
Squire  Gedney,  "  but  as  this  is  a  capital  offence,  no 
bail  can  be  taken." 

"Thank  you,  Master  Putnam,  but  I  want  no 
bail,"  said  the  old  seaman  proudly.  "If  the 
colony  of  Massachusetts  Bay,  which  my  father 
helped  to  build  up,  and  for  which  I  have  labored 
so  long  and  faithfully,  chooses  to  requite  my 
services  in  this  ungrateful  fashion,  let  it  be  so.  The 
shame  is  on  Massachusetts  not  on  me!" 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 
Considering  New  Plans. 

"Well,  what  now?"  said  Master  Joseph  Put 
nam  to  his  guest,  as  they  rode  homeward.     "You 
might  give  up  the  sea-route  and  try  a  push  through 
the  wilderness  to  the  Hudson  River." 
"Rather  dangerous  that." 

"Yes,  unless  you  could  secure  the  services  of 
some  heathen  savages  to  pilot  you  through." 
"Could  we  trust  them  ?" 

:<  Twenty  years  ago,  according  to  my  father's 

old   stories,  we   could;  but  they   are   very   bitter 

now — they  do  not  keep  much  faith  with  white  men. 

"Perhaps  the  white  men  have  not  kept  much 

faith  with  them. " 

"Of  course  not.  You  know  they  are  the 
heathen;  and  we  have  a  Bible  communion  to 
exterminate  them,  and  drive  them  out  of  our 
promised  land." 

"Do  you  believe  that?" 

"Well,  not  exactly,"  and  Master  Joseph 
laughed.  "Besides,  I  think  the  Quaker  plan  both 
cheaper  in  the  end  and  a  great  deal  safer.  Not 
that  I  believe  they  have  any  more  right  to  the  land 
than  we  have." 

180 


Considering  New  Plans.        181 

"Penn    and    the    Quakers    think    differently. " 

"I  know  they  do — but  they  are  a  set  of  crazy 
enthusiasts." 

"What  is  your  view  ?  That  of  your  ministers  ? 
The  earth  is  the  Lord's.  He  has  given  it  to  His 
saints.  We  are  the  saints." 

Master  Joseph  laughed  again.  "Well,  some 
thing  like  that.  The  earth  is  the  Lord's.  He  has 
intended  it  for  the  use  of  His  children.  We  are 
His  children  quite  as  much  as  the  savages.  There 
fore  we  have  as  much  right  to  it  as  they  have." 

"Only  they  happen  to  be  in  possession,"  replied 
Master  Raymond,  drily. 

"Are  they  in  possession  ?  So  far  as  they  are 
actually  in  possession,  I  admit  their  right.  But  do 
you  seriously  mean  that  a  few  hundred  or  thousand 
of  wild  heathen,  have  a  right  to  prior  occupancy  to 
the  whole  North  American  continent  ?  It  seems 
to  me  absurd  ?" 

"A  relative  of  mine  has  ten  square  miles  in 
Scotland  that  he  never  occupies,  in  your  sense  of 
the  word  any  more  than  your  red-men  do;  and 
yet  he  is  held  to  have  a  valid  right  to  it,  against 
the  hundreds  of  peasants  who  would  like  to  enter 
in  and  take  possession." 

"Oh,  plenty  of  things  are  done  wrong  in  the  old 


182  Dulcibel. 

world,"  replied  Master  Putnam;  "that  is  why  we 
Puritans  are  over  here.  But  still  the  fact  remains 
that  the  earth  is  the  Lord's  and  that  He  intended 
it  for  His  children's  use;  and  no  merely  legal  or 
personal  right  can  be  above  that.  If  ever  the 
time  comes  that  your  relative's  land  is  really  needed 
by  the  people  at  large,  why  then  some  way  will 
have  to  be  contrived  to  get  hold  of  it  for  them." 

"The  Putnam  family  have  a  good  many  broad 
acres  too,"  said  Master  Raymond,  with  a  smile, 
looking  around  him. 

"Oh,  you  cannot  scare  me,"  replied  his  friend, 
also  smiling.  "What  is  sauce  for  the  Campbell 
goose  is  sauce  for  the  Putnam  gander.  If  the 
time  ever  comes  when  the  public  good  requires 
that  the  broad  lands  of  the  Putnams — if  there  be 
any  Putnams  at  that  time — have  to  be  appro 
priated  to  meet  the  wants  of  their  fellow  men,  then 
the  broad  Putnam  lands  will  have  to  go  like  the 
rest,  I  imagine.  We  have  taken  them  from  the 
Indians,  just  as  the  Normans  took  them  from  the 
Saxons — and  as  the  Saxons  took  them  from  the 
Danes  and  the  ancient  inhabitants — -by  the  strong 
hand.  But  the  sword  can  give  no  right — save 
as  the  claim  of  the  public  good  is  behind  it.  Show 
me  that  the  public  good  requires  it,  and  I  am  will- 


Considering  New  Plans.         183 

ing  that  the  title-deeds  for  my  own  share  of  the 
broad  Putnam  lands  shall  be  burnt  up  tomorrow." 

"I  believe  you,  my  dear  friend,"  said  Master 
Raymond,  gazing  with  admiration  upon  the  manly, 
glowing  face  of  this  nature's  nobleman.  "And  I 
am  inclined  to  think  that  your  whole  view  of  the 
matter  is  correct.  But,  coming  back  to  our  first 
point,  do  you  know  of  any  savage  that  we  could 
trust  to  guide  us  safely  to  the  settlements  on  the 
Hudson  ?" 

"If  old  king  Philip,  whose  head  has  been  sav 
agely  exposed  to  all  weathers  on  the  gibbet  at 
Plymouth  for  the  last  sixteen  years,  were  alive, 
something  perhaps  might  be  done.  His  safe 
guard  would  have  carried  you  through. " 

"  Is  there  not  another  chief,  called  Nucas  ?" 

"Oh,  old  Nucas,  of  the  Mohegans.  He  was  a 
character!  But  he  died  ten  years  ago.  Lassacus, 
too,  was  killed.  There  are  a  couple  of  Pequod 
settlements  down  near  New  Haven  I  believe;  but 
they  are  too  far  off. " 

"And  then  you  could  not  tell  me  where  to  put 
my  hand  on  some  dozen  or  so  of  the  Indians, 
whom  I  might  engage  as  a  convoy. " 

"Not  now.  A  roving  party  may  pass  in  the 
woods  at  any  time.  But  they  would  not  be  very 


184  Dulcibel. 

reliable.  If  they  could  make  more  by  selling  your 
scalps  than  by  keeping  them  safely  on  your  heads, 
they  would  be  pretty  sure  to  sell  them." 

"Then  I  see  nothing  to  do,  but  to  go  again  to 

Boston,  and  arrange  another  scheme  on  the  old 

i       » 
plan. 

"You  ought  not  to  travel  long  in  Dulcibel's 
company  without  being  married,"  said  Master 
Putnam  bluntly. 

"Very  true — but  we  can  not  well  be  married  with 
out  giving  our  names  to  the  minister;  and  to  do 
that,  would  be  to  deliver  ourselves  up  to  the  author 
ities." 

"Mistress  Putnam  and  myself  might  accompany 
you  to  New  York — we  should  not  mind  a  little 
trip." 

"And  thus  make  yourselves  parties  to  Dulcibel's 
escape  ?  No,  no,  my  good  friend — that  would  be 
to  put  you  both  in  prison  in  her  place." 

"  It  is  not  likely  there  would  be  any  other  woman 
on  board  the  vessel — that  is  of  any  reputation. 
You  must  try  to  get  some  one  to  go  with  you. " 

"And  incur  the  certainty  of  punishment  when 
she  returns  ?" 

"Perhaps  you  could  find  some  one  who  would 
like  to  settle  permanently  in  New  York.  I  should 


Considering  New  Plans.        185 

like  to  go  myself  if  I  could,  and  get  out  of  this  den 
of  wild  beasts." 

"Yes,  I  may  be  able  to  do  that — though  I  shall 
not  dare  to  try  that  until  the  last  day  almost — for 
the  women  always  have  some  man  to  consult,  and 
thus  our  secret  plan  would  get  blown  about,  to  our 
great  peril. " 

"I  have  a  scheme!"  cried  Master  Joseph  in 
exultation.  "  It  is  the  very  thing,  and  he  burst  out 
laughing.  "  Kidnap  Cotton  Mather,  or  one  of  the 
other  Boston  ministers,  and  take  him  with  you." 

"That  would  be  a  bold  stroke,"  replied  Master 
Raymond,  also  laughing  heartily.  "  But,  like 
belling  the  cat,  it  is  easier  said  than  done.  Min 
isters  are  apt  to  be  cautious  and  wary.  They  are 
timid  folk." 

"Not  when  a  wedding  is  to  be  solemnized,  and 
a  purse  of  gold-pieces  is  shaken  before  them," 
returned  Master  Putnam.  "Have  everything 
ready  to  sail.  Then  decoy  the  minister  on  board, 
to  marry  a  wealthy  foreign  gentleman,  a  friend  of 
the  skipper's — and  do  not  let  him  go  again.  Pay 
him  enough  and  the  skipper  will  think  it  a  first 
rate,  joke." 

"  But  he  might  be  so  angry  that  he  would  refuse 
to  marry  us  after  all  our  trouble." 


i86  Dulcibel. 

"Oh,  do  not  you  believe  that — if  you  make  the 
fee  large  enough.  Treat  him  kindly,  represent 
to  him  the  absolute  necessity  of  the  case,  say  that 
you  never  would  have  thought  of  such  a  thing  if  it 
could  in  any  way  have  been  avoided,  and  I'll 
warrant  he  will  do  the  job  before  you  reach  New 
York." 

"I  wish  I  felt  as  certain  as  you  do." 
"Well,  suppose  he  will  not  be  mollified.  What 
then  ?  Your  end  is  attained.  He  has  acted  as 
chaperon,  and  involuntary  master  of  propriety 
whether  he  would  or  not.  A  minister  is  just  as 
good  as  a  matron  to  chaperon  the  maiden.  Of 
course  he  will  have  his  action  for  damages  against 
you,  and  you  will  be  willing  to  pay  him  fairly,  but 
if  he  brings  you  before  a  jury  of  New  Yorkers,  and 
you  simply  relate  the  facts,  and  the  necessity  of  the 
case,  little  will  he  get  of  damages  beyond  a  plenti 
ful  supply  of  jokes  and  laughter.  You  know  there 
is  very  little  love  lost  between  the  people  of  the  two 
colonies;  and  that  the  Manhattan  people  have  no 
more  respect  for  all  the  witchcraft  business,  than 
you  and  I  have." 

Master  Raymond  made  no  reply.  He  did  not 
want  to  kidnap  a  minister,  if  it  could  be  in  any  way 
avoided.  With  Master  Putnam,  however,  that 


Considering  New  Plans.         187 

seemed  to  be  one  of  the  most  desirable  features  of 
the  proposed  plan,  only  he  was  tenfold  more 
sorry  now  than  ever,  that  such  weighty  prudential 
reasons  prevented  his  taking  any  active  share  in 
the  enterprise.  To  kidnap  a  minister — especially 
if  it  could  be  the  Reverend  Cotton  Mather — 
seemed  to  him  something  which  was  worth  almost 
the  risking  of  his  liberty  and  property  in  which  to 
take  a  hand. 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 
The  Dissimulation  of  Master  Raymond. 

About  this  time  the  gossips  of  Salem  village 
began  to  remark  upon  the  attentions  that  were 
being  paid  by  the  wealthy  young  Englishman, 
Master  Ellis  Raymond,  to  various  members  of  the 
"afflicted  circle."  He  petted  those  bright  and 
terribly  precocious  children  of  twelve,  Ann  Put 
nam  and  Abigail  Williams;  he  almost  courted  the 
older  girls,  Mary  Walcot,  Mercy  Lewis  and  Leah 
Herrick  and  had  a  kindly  word  for  Mary  Warren, 
Sarah  Churchill  and  others,  whenever  he  saw 
them.  As  for  Mistress  Ann  Putnam,  the  mother, 
he  always  had  been  very  respectful  to  her.  While 
in  Boston  he  had  purchased  quite  an  assortment  of 
those  little  articles  which  the  Puritan  elders 
usually  denominated  "gew-gaws"  and  "vain 
adornments"  and  it  was  observed  that  Abigail 

O 

Williams  especially  had  been  given  a  number  of 
these,  while  the  other  girls  had  one  or  more  of 
them,  which  they  were  very  careful  in  not  dis 
playing  except  at  those  times  when  no  grave  elder 
or  deacon  was  present  to  be  shocked  by  them. 
I  will  acknowledge  that  there  was  some  dis- 

188 


Dissimulation.  189 

simulation  in  this  conduct  of  Master  Raymond's, 
and  Joseph  Putnam  by  no  means  approved  of  it. 

"How  you  can  go  smiling  around  that  den  of 
big  and  little  she-wolves,  patting  the  head  of  one, 
and  playing  with  the  paw  of  another,  I  cannot 
understand,  friend  Raymond.  I  would  not  do  it 
to  save  my  life." 

"Nor  I,"  answered  Master  Raymond  gravely. 
"  But  I  would  do  it  to  save  your  life,  friend  Joseph, 
or  that  of  your  sweet  young  wife  there — or  that  of 
the  baby  which  she  holds  upon  her  knee." 

"Or  that  of  Mistress  Dulcibel  Burton!"  added 
sweet  Mistress  Putnam  kindly. 

"Yes,  or  that  of  Dulcibel  Burton?"  "You 
know,  my  dear  friends,  the  plan  I  have  in  view 
may  fail.  If  that  should  fail,  I  am  laying  the 
foundation  of  another — so  that  if  Dulcibel  should 
be  brought  to  trial,  the  witnesses  that  are  relied 
upon  may  fail  to  testify  so  wantonly  against  her. 
Even  little  Abigail  Williams  has  the  assurance  and 
ingenuity  to  save  her,  if  she  will.*' 

"Yes,  that  precocious  child  is  a  very  imp  of 
Satan,"  said  Joseph  Putnam.  "What  a  terrible 
woman  she  will  make." 

"Oh,  no,  she  may  sink  down  into  a  very  tame 
and  commonplace  woman,  after  this  tremendous 


Dulcibel. 


excitement  is  over,"  rejoined  his  friend.  "I 
think  at  times  I  see  symptoms  of  it  now.  The 
strain  is  too  great  for  her  childish  brain." 

"Well,  I  suppose  your  dissimulation  is  allowable 
if  it  is  to  save  the  life  of  your  betrothed,"  said 
Master  Putnam,  "but  I  would  not  do  it  if  I  could 
and  I  could  not  if  I  would." 

"Do  you  remember  Junius  Brutus  playing 
idiot  —  and  King  David  playing  imbecile?" 

"Oh,  I  know  you  have  plenty  of  authority  for 
your  dissimulation." 

"It  seems  to  me,"  joined  in  young  Mistress 
Putnam,  "that  the  difference  between  you  is 
simply  this.  Joseph  could  not  conscientiously 
do  it;  and  you  can." 

"  Yes,  that  is  about  the  gist  of  it,  "  said  her  young 
husband.  "And  now  that  I  have  relieved  my 
conscience  by  protesting  against  your  course,  I 
am  satisfied  you  should  go  on  in  your  own  way 
just  the  same." 

"And  yet  you  feel  no  conscientious  scruples 
against  abducting  the  minister,  "  rejoined  Raymond 
laughing;  "a  thing  which  I  am  rather  loath  to 
do." 

"I  see,"  replied  Joseph,  also  laughing."  I 
scruple  at  taking  mustard,  and  you  at  cayenne 


Dissimulation.  191 

pepper.  It  is  a  matter  of  mental  organization 
probably." 

"Yes— and  if  a  few  or  many  doses  of  mustard 
will  prevent  my  being  arrested  as  a  witch,  which 
would  put  it  entirely  out  of  my  power  to  aid  Dulci- 
bel  in  her  affliction — and  perhaps  turn  some  of  the 
"afflicted"  girls  over  to  her  side,  in  case  she  has  to 
stand  a  trial  for  her  life — I  shall  certainly  swallow 
them  with  as  much  grace  as  if  they  were  so  many 
spoonfuls  of  honey.  There  is  a  time  to  be  over 
scrupulous,  friend  Joseph,  but  not  when  my 
beloved  one  is  in  the  cage  of  the  tigers.  Yes,  I 
shall  not  hesitate  to  meet  craft  with  craft. " 

And  Mistress  Putnam,  sweet,  good  woman  as 
she  was,  nodded  her  head,  woman-like,  approv 
ingly,  carried  away  perhaps  by  the  young  man's 
earnestness,  and  by  the  strength  of  his  love. 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 
The   Cruel  Doings   of  the    Special   Court. 

Meanwhile  the  Special  Court  of  seven  Judges — 
a  majority  of  whom  were  from  Boston,  with  the 
Deputy  Governor  of  the  Colony,  William  Stough- 
ten,  as  Chief-Justice — was  by  no  means  indolent. 
Of  the  proceedings  of  this  court,  which  embodied 
apparently  the  best  legal  intellect  of  the  colony, 
no  official  record  is  in  existence.  Its  shameful 
pages,  smeared  all  over  with  bigotry  and  blood,  no 
doubt  were  purposely  destroyed.  So  far  as  we  are 
acquainted  with  the  evidence  given  before  it,  it 
was  substantially  the  same  as  had  been  given  at 
the  previous  examinations  before  the  committing 
magistrates. 

That  nothing  was  too  extravagant  and  absurd 
to  be  received  as  evidence  by  this  learned  court,  is 
proven  by  the  statement  of  the  Reverend  Cotton 
Mather,  already  alluded  to,  relative  to  a  demon 
entering  the  meeting-house  and  tearing  down  a 
part  of  it,  in  obedience  to  a  look  from  Mistress 
Bridget  Bishop — of  which  diabolical  outrage  the 
Court  was  duly  informed.  Besides,  there  could 
have  been  no  other  kind  of  evidence  forthcoming, 

IQ2 


Cruel  Doings.  193 

that  would  apply  to  the  crime  of  which  all  the 
accused  were  charged,  Witchcraft.  Many  of  the 
prisoners  indeed  were  accused  of  murdering  chil 
dren  and  others,  whose  illness  had  been  beyond  the 
physician's  power  to  cure;  but  the  murders  were 
all  committed,  it  was  alleged,  by  the  use  of"  spec 
tres,"  "familiars,"  "puppets,"  and  other  super 
natural  means.  Against  such  accusations  it  was 
impossible  for  men  and  women  of  the  highest 
character  and  reputation  to  make  any  effectual 
defence,  before  a  court  and  jury  given  over  so 
completely  to  religious  fanaticism  and  super 
stitious  fancies.  To  be  accused  was  therefore  to 
be  condemned. 

Yes,  this  Special  Court,  having  had  all  its  mis 
givings,  if  it  ever  really  had  any,  quieted  by  the 
answer  of  the  council  of  ministers,  was  doing 
quick  and  fearful  work. 

Meeting  again  in  the  latter  part  of  June,  it 
speedily  tried,  convicted  and  sentenced  to  death 
five  persons: — Sarah  Good,  Sarah  Wildes,  Eliza 
beth  How,  Susanna  Martin  and  Rebecca  Nurse. 

Then,  adjourning  till  August  5th,  it  tried  and 
convicted  George  Burroughs,  John  Procter,  Eliza 
beth  Procter,  George  Jacobs,  John  Willard  and 
Martha  Carrier. 
13 


194  Dulcibel. 

Then  meeting  on  September  Qth,  it  tried  and 
condemned  Martha  Corey,  Mary  Easty,  Alice 
Parker  and  Ann  Pudcator;  and  on  September 
lyth,  Margaret  Scott,  Wilmot  Reed,  Samuel  Ward- 
well  and  Mary  Parker. 

It  will  be  noticed  that  of  the  above  nineteen 
persons,  only  five  were  men.  As  the  greater 
number  of  the  accusers  were  also  of  the  female 
sex,  it  was  natural,  I  suppose,  that  this  should  be  so. 
And  thus  we  find  that  the  word  witch  is  applied 
indifferently  in  the  old  records,  to  men  and  women; 
the  masculine  term  wizard  being  seldom  used. 

That  the  learned  Judges  were  fully  as  super 
stitious  as  the  people  at  large,  is  conclusively 
proved  by  certain  facts  that  have  come  down  to  us. 
In  the  case  of  that  lovely  and  venerable  matron, 
Rebecca  Nurse,  the  jury  at  first  brought  in  the 
verdict  "Not  guilty." 

But  immediately  all  the  accusers  in  the  Court, 
and  all  the  "afflicted"  out  of  it,  made  a  hideous 
outcry.  Two  of  the  Judges  said  they  were  not 
satisfied.  The  Chief-Justice  intimated  that  there 
was  one  admission  of  the  prisoner  that  the  jury 
had  not  properly  considered.  These  things 
induced  the  jurors  to  go  out  again,  and  come  back 
with  a  verdict  of  "Guilty." 


Cruel  Doings.  195 

One  of  the  charges  against  Rebecca  Nurse, 
testified  to  by  Edward  Putnam,  was  that,  after  the 
said  Rebecca  Nurse  had  been  committed  to  jail, 
and  was  thus  several  miles  distant  in  the  town  of 
Salem,  "she,  the  said  Nurse,  struck  Mistress  Ann 
Putnam  with  her  spectral  chain,  leaving  a  mark, 
being  a  kind  of  round  ring,  and  three  streaks  across 
the  ring.  She  had  six  blows  with  a  chain  in  the 
space  of  half-an-hour;  and  she  had  one  remarkable 
one,  with  six  streaks  across  her  arm.  Ann  Put 
nam,  Jr.,  also  was  bitten  by  the  spectre  of  the  said 
Rebecca  Nurse  about  two  o'clock  of  the  day.  I, 
Edward  Putnam,  saw  the  marks,  both  of  bite  and 
chains." 

It  was  a  great  hardship  in  all  these  trials,  that 
the  prisoners  were  not  allowed  any  counsel;  while 
on  the  other  hand,  the  members  of  the  Court 
seemed  to  take  it  for  granted  from  the  first,  that 
they  were  guilty.  The  only  favor  allowed  them 
was  the  right  of  objecting  to  a  certain  extent  to 
those  jurors  whose  fairness  they  mistrusted. 

One  of  the  accused,  a  reputable  and  aged  farmer 
named  Giles  Corey,  refused  to  plead.  His  wife, 
Martha  Corey,  was  among  the  convicted.  At  he:: 
examination,  some  time  previous,  he  had  allowed 
himself  to  testify  in  certain  respects  against  her; 


196  Dulcibel. 

involved  as  he  was  for  a  time  in  the  prevailing 
delusion.  But  he  was  a  man  of  strong  mind  and 
character;  and  though  not  entirely  able  to  throw 
off  the  chains  which  superstition  had  woven  around 
him,  he  repented  very  sorely  the  part  he  had  taken 
against  his  wife.  This  was  enough  to  procure  his 
own  accusation.  The  "afflicted  girls"  brought 
their  usual  complaints  that  his  spectre  tormented 
them.  They  fell  down  and  shrieked  so  wildly  at 
his  examination,  that  Squire  Hathorne  asked  him 
with  great  indignation,  "Is  it  not  enough  that 
you  should  afflict  these  girls  at  other  times  without 
doing  it  now  in  our  presence  ?" 

The  honest  and  sturdy  man  was  visibly  affected. 
He  knew  he  was  not  consciously  doing  anything; 
but  what  could  it  all  mean  ?  If  he  turned  his  head, 
the  girls  said  he  was  hurting  them  and  turned  their 
heads  the  same  way.  The  Court  ordered  his 
hands  tied — and  then  the  girls  said  they  were 
easier.  But  he  drew  in  his  cheeks,  after  a  habit 
he  had,  and  the  cheeks  of  the  girls  were  sucked  in 
also,  giving  them  great  pain.  The  old  man  was 
fairly  dumfounded.  When  however  one  of  the 
girls  testified  that  Goodman  Corey  had  told  her 
that  he  saw  the  devil  in  the  shape  of  a  black  hog 
in  the  cow-house,  and  was  very  much  frightened  by 


Cruel  Doings.  197 

it,  the  spirited  old  man  said  that  he  never  was 
frightened  by  man  or  devil  in  his  life. 

But  he  had  a  fair  property,  and  two  sons-in-law 
to  whom  he  wished  to  leave  it.  He  knew  well  that 
if  he  were  tried  he  would  be  convicted,  and  that 
would  carry  with  it  the  confiscation  of  his  property. 
So,  as  other  noble-hearted  men  had  done  in  that 
and  the  previous  age,  he  refused  when  brought 
before  the  Special  Court,  to  plead  either  "guilty" 
or  "not  guilty."  In  these  later  times  the  presid 
ing  Judge  would  simply  order  a  plea  of  "not 
guilty"  to  be  entered,  and  the  trial  would  proceed. 
But  then  it  was  otherwise — the  accused  himself 
must  plead,  or  the  trial  could  not  go  on.  There 
fore  he  must  be  made  to  plead — by  placing  heavy 
weights  upon  his  breast,  and  adding  to  them  until 
the  accused  either  agreed  to  plead,  or  died  under 
the  torture.  In  which  last  case,  the  prisoner  lost 
his  life  as  contumacious;  but  gained  his  point  of 
preserving  his  estate,  and  title  of  nobility  if  he  had 
any,  to  his  family. 

So,  manly  old  Giles  Corey,  remorseful  for  the 
fate  he  had  helped  to  bring  upon  his  wife,  and 
determined  that  his  children  should  inherit  the 
property  he  had  acquired,  maintained  a  deter 
mined  silence  when  brought  before  the  Special 


198  Dulcibel. 

Court.  Being  warned,  again  and  again,  he  simply 
smiled.  He  could  bear  all  that  they  in  their  cruel 
mockery  of  justice  could  inflict  upon  him. 

Joseph  Putnam  and  Master  Raymond  rode 
down  to  Salem  that  day — to  the  orchard  where  the 
brave  old  man  was  led  out  of  jail  to  meet  his  doom. 
They  saw  him,  tied  hand  and  foot,  and  heavy  flat 
stones  and  iron  weights  laid  one  by  one  upon  him. 

"More!  More!"  pleaded  the  old  man  at  last. 
"I  shall  never  yield.  But,  if  ye  be  men,  make  the 
time  short!" 

"I  cannot  stand  this,"  said  Master  Raymond. 

"We  are  powerless  to  help  him — let  us  go." 

"To  torture  an  old  man  of  eighty  years  in  this 
way!  What  a  sight  for  this  new  world!"  ex 
claimed  Master  Putnam,  as  they  turned  their 
horses'  heads  and  rode  off. 

His  executioners  took  Giles  Corey  at  his  word. 
They  knew  the  old  man  would  never  yield.  So 
they  mercifully  heaped  the  heavy  weights  upon 
him  until  they  had  crushed  out  his  life. 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 
Dulcibel's  Life  in  Prison. 

Dulcibel's  life  in  prison  was  of  course  a  very 
monotonous  one.  She  did  not  suffer  however  as 
did  many  other  women  of  equally  gentle  nature. 
In  the  jails  of  Ipswich,  Boston  and  Cambridge, 
there  were  keepers  who  conformed  in  most  cases 
strictly  to  the  law.  In  many  instances  delicate 
and  weakly  women,  often  of  advanced  years,  were 
chained,  hands  and  feet,  with  heavy  irons,  night 
and  day. 

But  Robert  Foster  and  his  son,  who  assisted  him 
as  under-keeper,  while  indulging  before  the  mar 
shal  and  the  constables  in  the  utmost  violence  and 
seventy  of  language,  and  who  were  supposed  to  be 
strict  enforcers  of  all  the  instructions  received  from 
the  magistrates,  were  as  we  have  seen,  at  heart, 
very  liberal  and  kind-hearted  men.  And  the  only 
fear  the  prisoners  had,  was  that  they  would  throw 
up  their  positions  some  day  in  disgust.  Uncle 
Robie  often  declared  to  Dulcibel  that  he  would, 
when  she  was  once  fairly  out  of  the  clutches  of  her 
enemies. 

Every  now  and  then  instructions  would  come  to 
199 


200 


Dulcibel. 


jailer  Foster  from  one  of  the  magistrates — gen 
erally  Squire  Hathorne — to  put  heavier  irons  on 
some  one  of  the  prisoners,  whose  spectre  was  still 
tormenting  the  "afflicted  girls."  It  being  gener 
ally  held  that  the  more  heavily  you  chained  a  witch, 
the  less  able  she  was  to  afflict  her  victims.  And  at 
these  times  Master  Foster  would  get  out  his  heav 
iest  irons,  parade  them  before  the  eyes  of  the  con 
stables,  declare  in  a  fierce  tone  what  he  was  about 
to  do,  get  the  constable  off  on  one  pretext  or 
another — and  do  nothing. 

It  was  thought  best  and  wisest  for  neither  Mas 
ter  Joseph  Putnam  nor  Master  Raymond  to  seek 
many  interviews  with  Dulcibel;  the  means  of  inter 
course  between  the  two  lovers  being  restricted  to 
little  notes,  which  goodwife  Buckley,  who  fre 
quently  visited  the  maiden,  transmitted  from  one 
to  the  other  through  the  agency  of  either  her  hus 
band  or  of  Joseph  Putnam.  This  kept  them  both 
in  heart;  and  Dulcibel  being  sustained  by  the  fre 
quent  assurances  of  her  lover's  devotion,  and  by 
the  hope  of  escape,  kept  the  roses  of  her  cheeks  in 
marvelous  bloom  during  her  close  confinement. 

One  of  the  constables,  who  managed  to  get  sight 
of  her  one  day  through  the  half-opened  door  of  her 
cell,  expressed  surprise  to  the  jailer  that  she  should 


Dulcibel's  Life  in  Prison.        201 

still  look  so  blooming,  considering  the  weight  of  the 
heavy  chains  to  which  she  was  continually  sub 
jected. 

"And  why  should  not  the  young  witch  look  so  ?" 
replied  the  jailer.  "Is  not  her  spectre  riding 
around  on  that  devil's  mare  half  the  night,  and 
having  a  good  time  of  it  ?" 

The  constable  assented  to  this  view  of  the  case; 
and  his  suspicions,  if  he  had  any,  were  quieted. 
In  fact  even  Squire  Hathorne  himself  probably 
would  have  been  perfectly  satisfied  with  an  explan 
ation  of  so  undeniable  a  character. 

Of  course  it  was  not  considered  prudent  by  Uncle 
Robie,  that  the  furniture  or  general  appearance 
of  Dulcibel's  cell  should  be  changed  in  the  least 
for  the  better.  Not  even  a  bunch  of  flowers  that 
Goodwife  Buckley  once  brought  to  Dulcibel,  could 
be  allowed  to  remain  there.  While  in  a  corner  of 
the  cell,  lay  the  heavy  chains  which,  if  the  marshal 
or  one  of  the  magistrates,  should  insist  upon  seeing 
the  prisoner,  could  be  slipped  on  her  wrists  and 
ankles  in  a  few  minutes.  Fortunately,  however, 
for  Dulcibel,  the  interest  of  all  these  was  now 
centered  upon  the  trials  that  were  in  progress,  the 
contumacious  obstinacy  of  Giles  Corey,  the  host 
of  new  accusations  at  Ipswich  and  other  neighbor- 


2O2 


Dulcibel. 


ing  places,  and  the  preparations  for  the  execution 
of  those  already  condemned  to  death. 

If  they  had  a  passing  thought  of  the  young  witch 
Dulcibel  Burton,  it  was  that  her  time  would  come 
rapidly  around  in  its  turn,  when  speedy  justice  no 
doubt  would  be  done  to  her. 

As  to  Antipas,  her  faithful  servitor,  he  had  re 
lapsed  again  into  his  old  staidness  and  sobriety 
in  the  comparative  quietude  of  the  prison.  Only 
on  the  day  of  Giles  Corey's  execution  had  the 
prevailing  excitement  attending  that  event,  and 
which  naturally  affected  the  constables  and  jailers, 
made  him  raging.  To  pass  the  constable's  inspec 
tion,  as  well  as  for  his  own  safety,  the  jailer  had 
chained  him;  but  his  voice  could  be  heard  ringing 
through  the  closed  door  of  his  cell  at  intervals  from 
morning  till  evening. 

The  burden  of  his  thoughts  seemed  to  be  a 
blending  of  denunciation  and  exultation.  The 
predictions  of  the  four  Quakers  executed  many 
years  before  on  Boston  common,  and  those  of  men 
and  women  who  had  been  whipped  at  the  cart's 
tail  through  the  towns  of  the  colony,  evidently 
seemed  to  him  in  progress  of  fulfillment: — 

"They  have  torn  the  righteous  to  pieces;  now 
the  judgment  is  upon  them,  and  they  are  tearing 


DulcibePs  Life  in  Prison.        203 

each  other!  Woe  to  the  bloody  towns  of  Boston 
and  Salem  and  Ipswich!  Satan  is  let  loose  by  the 
Lord  upon  them !  They  have  slain  the  saints,  they 
have  supped  full  of  innocent  blood;  now  the  blood 
of  their  own  sons,  their  own  daughters,  is  filling  the 
cup  of  God's  vengeance!  They  have  tortured  the 
innocent  women,  the  innocent  children — and 
banished  them  and  sold  them  to  the  Philistines  as 
slaves.  But  the  Lord  will  avenge  His  own  elect! 
They  are  given  up  to  believe  a  lie!  The  persecu 
tors  are  persecuting  each  other!  They  are  pres 
sing  each  other  to  death  beneath  heavy  stones! 
They  are  hanging  each  other  on  the  gallows  of 
Haman!  Where  they  hung  the  innocent,  they 
are  hanging  themselves!  Oh,  God!  avenge  now 
the  blood  of  thy  Saints!  As  they  have  done,  let 
it  be  done  unto  them!  Whip  and  kill!  Whip  and 
kill!  Ha!  ha!  ha!" — and  with  a  blood-curdling 
laugh  that  rang  through  the  narrow  passages  of  the 
prison,  the  insane  old  man  would  fall  down  for  a 
time  on  his  bed  exhausted. 

That  was  an  awful  day,  both  outside  and  inside 
the  prison — for  all  the  prisoners  knew  what  a 
savage  death  old  Giles  Corey  was  meeting.  It 
seemed  to  Dulcibel  afterwards,  that  if  she  had  not 
been  sustained  by  the  power  of  love,  and  a  hopeful 


204  Dulcibel. 

looking  forward  to  other  scenes,  she  must  have 
herself  gone  crazy  during  that  and  the  other  evil 
days  that  were  upon  them.  To  some  of  the  pris 
oners,  the  most  fragile  and  sensitive  ones,  even  the 
hour  of  their  execution  seemed  to  come  as  a  relief. 
Anything,  to  get  outside  of  those  close  dark  cells — 
and  to  make  an  end  of  it! 


CHAPTER  XXX. 
Eight  Legal  Murders  on  Witch  Hill. 

A  mile  or  so  outside  of  the  town  of  Salem,  the 
ground  rises  into  a  rocky  ledge,  from  the  top  of 
which,  to  the  south  and  the  east  and  the  west,  a 
vast  expanse  of  land  and  sea  is  visible.  You  over 
look  the  town;  the  two  rivers,  or  branches  of  the 
sea,  between  which  the  town  lies;  the  thickly 
wooded  country,  as  it  was  then,  to  the  south  and 
west;  and  the  wide,  open  sea  to  the  eastward. 

Such  a  magnificent  prospect  of  widespread  land 
and  water  is  seldom  seen  away  from  the  mountain 
regions;  and,  as  one  stands  on  the  naked  brow  of 
the  hill,  on  a  clear  summer  day,  as  the  sunset  begins 
to  dye  the  west,  and  gazes  on  the  scene  before  and 
around  him,  he  feels  that  the  heavens  are  not  so 
very  far  distant,  and  as  if  he  could  almost  touch 
with  these  mortal  hands  the  radiance  and  the  glory. 

The  natural  sublimity  of  this  spot  seems  to  have 
struck  the  Puritan  fathers  of  Salem,  and  looking 
around  on  its  capabilities,  they  appear  to  have 
come  to  the  conclusion  that  of  all  places  it  was  the 
one  expressly  designed  by  the  loving  Father  of 

mankind  for — a  gallows! 

205 


2o6  Dulcibel. 

"Yes,  the  very  spot  for  a  gallows!"  said  the 
first  settlers.  "The  very  spot!"  echoed  their 
descendants.  See,  the  wild  "Heathen  Salvages" 
can  behold  it  from  far  and  near;  the  free  spoken, 
law-abiding  sailors  can  descry  it,  far  out  at  sea; 
and  both  know  by  this  sign  that  they  are  approach 
ing  a  land  of  Christian  civilization  and  of  godly 
law!" 

I  think  if  I  were  puzzled  for  an  emblem  to  denote 
the  harsher  and  more  uncharitable  side  of  the 
Puritan  character,  I  should  pick  out  this  gallows 
on  Witch  Hill  near  Salem,  as  being  a  most  befitting 
one. 

This  was  the  spot  where,  as  we  have  already 
related,  approaching  it  from  the  north,  Master 
Raymond  had  his  interview  with  jailer  Foster. 
But  that  was  night,  and  it  was  so  dark  that  Master 
Raymond  had  no  idea  of  its  commanding  so  fine 
a  view  of  both  land  and  water.  He  had  been  in 
Boston  during  the  execution  of  poor  Bridget 
Bishop;  and  though  he  had  often  seen  the  gallows 
from  below,  and  wondered  at  the  grim  taste  which 
had  reared  it  in  such  a  conspicuous  spot,  he  had 
never  felt  the  least  desire,  but  rather  a  natural 
aversion,  to  approach  the  place  where  such  an 
unrighteous  deed  had  been  enacted. 


Witch  Hill.  207 

But  now  the  carpenters  had  been  again  at  work 
and  supplanted  the  old  scaffolding  by  another  and 
larger  one.  Now  the  uprights  had  been  added 
too — and  on  the  beam  which  they  supported  there 
was  room  for  at  least  ten  persons.  This  seemed 
to  be  enough  space  to  Marshall  Herrick  and  Squire 
Hathorne;  though  at  the  rate  the  arrests  and  con 
victions  were  going  on,  it  might  be  that  one-half 
of  the  people  in  the  two  Salems  and  in  Ipswich, 
would  be  hung  in  the  course  of  a  year  or  so  by  the 
other  half. 

But  for  this  special  hanging,  only  eight  ropes 
and  nooses  were  prepared.  The  workmen  had 
been  employed  the  preceding  afternoon;  and  now 
in  the  fresh  morning  light,  everything  was  ready; 
and  eight  of  those  who  had  been  condemned  were 
to  be  executed. 

The  town,  and  village,  and  countiy  around 
turned  out,  as  was  natural,  in  a  mass,  to  see  the 
terrible  sight.  And  yet  the  crowd  was  compar 
atively  a  small  one,  the  colony  then  being  so  thinly 
settled.  But  this,  to  Master  Raymond's  eyes, 
gave  a  new  horror  to  the  scene.  If  there  had  been 
a  crowd  like  that  when  London  brought  together 
its  thousands  at  Tyburn,  it  would  have  seemed  less 
appalling.  But  here  were  a  few  people — not 


208  Dulcibel. 

alienated  from  each  other  by  ancestral  differences 
in  creed  or  politics,  and  who  had  never  seen  each 
other's  faces  before — but  members  of  the  same  little 
band  which  had  fled  together  from  their  old  home, 
holding  the  same  political  views,  the  same  religious 
faith;  who  had  sat  on  the  same  benches  at  church, 
eaten  at  the  same  table  of  the  Lord's  supper,  near 
neighbors  on  their  farms,  or  in  the  town  and  village 
streets;  now  hunting  each  other  down  like  wolves, 
and  hanging  each  other  up  in  cold  blood!  This 
it  was  that  set  apart  the  Salem  persecution  from 
all  other  persecutions  of  those  old  days  against 
witches  and  heretics;  and  which  has  given  it  a 
painful  pre-eminence  in  horror.  It  was  neighbor 
hanging  neighbor;  and  brother  and  sister  perse 
cuting  to  death  with  the  foulest  lies  and  juggling 
tricks  their  spiritual  brothers  and  sisters.  And 
the  plea  of  "delusion"  will  not  excuse  it,  except  to 
those  who  have  not  investigated  its  studied  cruelty 
and  malice.  Sheer,  unadulterated  wickedness  had 
its  full  share  in  the  persecution;  and  that  wicked 
ness  can  only  be  partly  extenuated  by  the  plea  of 
possible  insanity  or  of  demoniacal  possession. 

The  route  to  the  gallows  hill  was  a  rough  and 
difficult  one;  but  the  condemned  were  marched 
from  the  jail  for  the  last  time,  one  by  one,  and 


Marched  from  jail  for  the  last  time 


Witch  Hill.  209 


compelled  to  walk  attended  by  a  small  guard  and 
a  rude  and  jeering  company.  There  was  Re 
becca  Nurse,  infirm  but  venerable  and  lovely, 
the  beloved  mother  of  a  large  family;  there  was 
the  Reverend  George  Burroughs,  a  small  dark 
man,  whose  great  physical  strength  was  enough, 
as  the  Reverend  Increase  Mather,  then  President 
of  Harvard  College,  said,  to  prove  he  was  a  witch; 
but  who  did  not  believe  in  infant  baptism,  and 
probably  was  not  up  to  the  orthodox  standard  of 
the  day  in  other  respects,  though  in  conduct  a  very 
correct  and  exemplary  man;  there  was  old  John 
Procter,  with  his  two  staffs,  and  long  thin  white 
hair;  there  was  John  Willard,  a  good,  innocent 
young  man,  lied  to  death  by  Susanna  Sheldon, 
aged  eighteen;  there  was  unhappy  Martha  Carrier 
four  of  whose  children,  one  a  girl  of  eight,  had  been 
frightened  into  testifying  before  the  Special  Court 
against  her;  saying  that  their  mother  had  taken 
them  to  a  witch  meeting,  and  that  the  Devil  had 
promised  her  that  she  should  be  queen  of  hell; 
there  was  gentle,  patient  and  saintlike  Elizabeth 
How,  with  " Father,  forgive  them!"  on  her  mild 
lips;  and  two  others  of  whom  we  now  know  little, 
save  that  they  were  most  falsely  and  wickedly 
accused 
14 


210  Dulcibel. 

There  also  were  the  circle  of  the  "afflicted,"  gaz 
ing  with  hard  dry  eyes  on  the  murder  they  had  done 
and  with  jeers  and  scoffs  on  their  thin  and  cruel  lips. 

There,  too,  were  the  reverend  ministers,  Master 
Parris  of  Salem  village,  and  Master  Noyes  of 
Salem  town,  and  Master  Cotton  Mather,  who  had 
come  down  from  Boston  in  his  black  clothes,  like 
a  buzzard  that  scents  death  and  blood  a  long  way 
off,  to  lend  his  spiritual  countenance  to  the  terrible 
occasion. 

Master  Noyes,  however,  the  most  of  the  time, 
seemed  rather  quiet  and  subdued.  He  was  think 
ing  perhaps  of  Sarah  Good's  fierce  prediction, 
when  he  urged  her,  as  she  came  up  to  the  gallows 
to  confess,  saying  to  her  that,  "she  was  a  witch, 
and  she  knew  it ! "  Outraged  beyond  all  endurance 
at  this  last  insult  at  such  a  moment,  Sarah  Good 
cried  out:  "It  is  a  lie!  I  am  no  more  a  witch 
than  you  are.  God  will  yet  give  you  blood  to 
drink  for  this  day's  cruel  work!"  Which  pre 
diction  it  is  said  in  Salem,  came  true — Master 
Noyes  dying  of  an  internal  hemorrhage  bleeding 
profusely  at  the  mouth. 

It  was  not  a  scene  that  men  of  sound  and  kindly 
hearts  would  wish  to  witness;  and  yet  Joseph 
Putnam  and  Ellis  Raymond  felt  drawn  to  it  by  an 


Witch  Hill.  211 


irresistible  sense  of  duty.  Hard,  indeed,  it  was 
for  Master  Raymond;  for  the  necessity  of  the  case 
compelled  him  to  suppress  all  show  of  sympathy 
with  the  sufferer,  in  order  that  he  might  more 
effectually  carry  out  his  plans  for  Dulcibel's  escape 
from  the  similar  penalty  that  menaced  her.  And 
he,  therefore,  could  not  even  ride  around  like 
Master  Putnam,  with  a  frowning  face,  uttering 
occasional  emphatic  expressions  of  his  indignation 
and  horror,  that  the  crowd  would  probably  not 
have  endured  from  any  one  else. 

There  were  some  incidents  that  were  especially 
noticeable.  Samuel  Wardwell  had  "confessed" 
in  his  fear,  but  subsequently  taken  back  his  false 
confession,  and  met  his  death.  While  he 
was  speaking  at  the  foot  of  the  gallows 
declaring  his  innocence,  the  tobacco  smoke  from 
the  pipe  of  the  executioner,  blew  into  his  face  and 
interrupted  him. 

Then  one  of  the  accusing  girls  laughed  out,  and 
said  that  "the  Devil  did  hinder  him,"  but  Joseph 
Putnam  cried,  "  If  the  Devil  does  hinder  him,  then 
it  is  good  proof  that  he  is  not  one  of  his."  At 
which  some  few  of  the  crowd  applauded;  while 
others  said  that  Master  Putnam  himself  was  no 
better  than  he  ought  to  be. 


212  Dulcibel. 

The  Reverend  Master  Burroughs,  when  upon 
the  ladder,  addressing  the  crowd,  asserted  earnest 
ly  his  entire  innocence.  Such  was  the  effect  of  his 
words  that  Master  Raymond  even  hoped  that  an 
effort  would  be  made  to  rescue  him.  But  one  of 
the  "afflicted  girls"  cried  out,  "See!  there  stands 
the  black  man  in  the  air  at  his  side." 

Then  another  said,  "The  black  man  is  telling 
him  what  to  say." 

But  Master  Burroughs  answered:  "Then  I 
will  repeat  the  Lord's  prayer.  Would  the  Devil 
tell  me  to  say  that?" 

But  when  he  had  ended,  Master  Cotton  Mather, 
who  was  riding  around  on  his  horse,  said  to  the 
people  that  "the  Devil  often  transformed  himself 
into  an  angel  of  light;  and  that  Master  Burroughs 
was  not  a  rightly  ordained  minister;"  and  the 
executioner  at  a  sign  from  the  official,  cut  the  mat 
ter  short  by  turning  off  the  condemned  man. 

Rebecca  Nurse  and  the  other  women,  with  the 
exception  of  their  last  short  prayers,  said  nothing — 
submitting  quietly  and  composedly  to  their  legal 
murder.  And  before  the  close  of  one  short  hour 
eight  lifeless  bodies  hung  dangling  beneath  the 
summer  sun. 

Joseph  Putnam  and  Master  Raymond,  and  a 


Witch  Hill.  213 


few  others  upon  whom  the  solemn  words  of  the 
condemned  had  made  an  evident  impression, 
turned  away  from  the  sad  sight,  and  wiped  their 
tearful  eyes.  But  Master  Parris  and  Master 
Noyes,  and  Master  Cotton  Mather  seemed  rather 
exultant  than  otherwise;  though  Master  Noyes 
did  say;  "What  a  sad  thing  it  is  to  see  eight  fire 
brands  of  hell  hanging  there!"  But,  as  Master 
Cotton  Mather  more  consistently  answered: 
"Why  should  godly  ministers  be  sad  to  see  the 
firebrands  of  hell  in  the  burning." 

Then,  as  the  hours  went  on,  the  bodies  were  cut 
down,  and  stuck  into  short  and  shallow  graves,  dug 
out  with  difficulty  between  the  rocks — in  some 
instances,  the  ground  not  covering  them  entirely. 
There  some  remained  without  further  attention; 
but,  in  the  case  of  others,  whose  relatives  were  still 
true  to  them,  there  came  loving  hands  by  night,  and 
bore  the  remains  away  to  find  a  secret  sepulcher, 
where  none  could  molest  them. 

But  the  gallows  remained  on  the  Hill,  where  it 
could  be  seen  from  a  great  distance;  causing  a 
thrill  of  wonder  in  the  bosom  of  the  wandering 
savage,  as  of  the  wandering  sailor,  gazing  at  its 
skeleton  outline  against  the  sunset  sky  from  far  out 
at  sea — waiting  for  ten  more  victims! 


CHAPTER  XXXI. 
A  New  Plan  of  Escape. 

About  this  time  a  new  plan  of  escape  was  sug 
gested  to  Master  Raymond;  coming  to  him  in  a 
note  from  Dulcibel. 

Master  Philip  English,  one  of  the  wealthiest 
inhabitants  of  Salem  town,  and  his  wife  Mary,  had 
been  arrested — the  latter  a  short  time  previous  to 
her  husband.  He  was  a  merchant  managing  a 
large  business,  owning  fourteen  houses  in  the  town, 
a  wharf,  and  twenty-one  vessels.  He  had  one  of 
the  best  dwellings  in  Salem — situated  at  its  eastern 
end,  and  having  a  fine  outlook  over  the  adjacent 
seas.  He  had  probably  offended  some  one  in  his 
business  transactions;  or,  supposing  that  he  was 
safely  entrenched  in  his  wealth  and  high  social 
position,  he  might  have  expressed  some  decided 
opinions,  relative  to  Mistress  Ann  Putnam  and 
the  "afflicted  children." 

As  for  his  wife,  she  was  a  lady  of  exalted  character 
who  had  been  an  only  child  and  had  inherited  a 
large  property  from  her  father.  The  deputy- 
marshall,  Manning,  came  to  arrest  her  in  the  night 
time,  during  her  husband's  absence.  She  had 

214 


A  New  Plan  of  Escape.         215 

retired  to  her  bed;  but  he  was  admitted  to  her 
chamber,  where  he  read  the  warrant  for  her  appre 
hension.  He  allowed  her  till  morning,  however, 
placing  guards  around  the  house  that  she  might 
not  escape.  Knowing  that  such  an  accusation 
generally  meant  conviction  and  death,  "she  arose 
calmly  in  the  morning,  attended  the  family  prayers, 
spoke  to  a  near  relative  of  the  best  plan  for  the 
education  of  her  children,  kissed  them  with  great 
composure,  amid  their  agony  of  cries  and  tears, 
and  then  told  the  officer  that  she  was  ready  to 
die." 

On  her  examination  the  usual  scene  ensued,  and 
the  usual  falsehoods  were  told.  Perhaps  the 
"afflicted  girls"  were  a  little  more  bitter  than  they 
would  have  been,  had  she  not  laughed  outright 
at  a  portion  of  their  testimony.  She  was  a  very 
nice  person  in  her  habits,  and  it  was  testified  against 
her,  that  being  out  one  day  in  the  streets  of  Salem 
walking  around  on  visits  to  her  friends  during  a 
whole  morning,  notwithstanding  the  streets  were 
exceedingly  sloppy  and  muddy,  it  could  not  be 
perceived  that  her  shoes  and  white  stockings  were 
soiled  in  the  least.  As  we  have  said,  at  this  singu 
lar  proof  of  her  being  a  witch,  the  intelligent  lady 
had  laughed  outright.  And  this  of  course  brought 


2i6  Dulcibel. 

out  the  additional  statement,  that  she  had  been 
carried  along  on  the  back  of  an  invisible  "famil 
iar" — a  spectral  blue  boar — the  whole  way.  Of 
course  this  was  sufficient,  and  she  was  committed 
for  trial. 

And  now  wealthy  Master  Philip  English  and 
his  wife  were  both  in  prison;  and  he  daily  con 
cocting  plans  by  which  he  might  find  himself  on 
the  deck  of  the  fastest  sailer  of  all  those  twenty-one 
vessels  of  his. 

Uncle  Robie  had  thought  this  might  be  also 
a  good  opportunity  for  Dulcibel.  And  it  struck 
Master  Raymond  the  same  way;  while  Master 
English  had  no  objection,  especially  as  it  was 
mainly  for  Dulcibel  that  the  jailer  would  open  the 
prison  doors.  And  this  was  better  than  the 
violence  he  had  at  first  contemplated;  for,  as  his 
vessels  gradually  began  to  accumulate  in  port, 
owing  to  the  interruption  to  his  business  caused 
by  his  arrest,  he  had  only  to  give  the  word,  and 
a  party  of  his  sailors  would  have  broken  open  the 
prison  some  dark  night,  and  released  him  from 
captivity. 

The  "Albatross,"  Master  English's  fastest  sailer 
at  length  came  into  port;  and  the  arrangements 
were  speedily  made.  The  first  north-westerly 


A  New  Plan  of  Escape.        217 

wind,  whether  the  night  were  clear  or  stormy— 
though  of  course  with  such  a  wind  it  would  prob 
ably  be  clear — the  attempt  was  to  be  made, 
immediately  after  midnight.  Uncle  Robie  was  to 
unlock  the  jail-doors,  let  them  out,  lock  the  doors 
again  behind  them,  and  have  a  plentiful  supply  of 
witch  stories  to  account  for  the  escape.  And 
Master  Raymond  had  some  hopes  also,  that 
Abigail  Williams  would  come  to  the  jailer's  support 
in  anything  that  seemed  to  compromise  him  in  the 
least;  for  he  had  promised  to  send  her  a  beautiful 
gift  from  England,  when  he  returned  home  again. 
And  with  such  a  sharpener  to  the  vision,  the  pre 
cocious  child  would  be  able  to  see  even  more 
wonderful  things  than  any  she  had  already  testified 
to. 

The  favorable  wind  came  at  length,  and  with  it 
an  exceedingly  propitious  night;  there  being  a 
moon  just  large  enough  to  enable  them  to  see  their 
way,  with  not  enough  light  to  disclose  anything 
sharply.  Master  Raymond  had  planned  all  along 
to  take  Dulcibel's  horse  also  with  them;  and  if 
he  could  ride  the  animal,  it  would  obviate  the 
necessity  of  taking  another  horse  also,  and  being 
plagued  what  to  do  with  it  when  they  arrived  at 
the  prison.  For  he  was  very  desirous  that  Master 


218  Dulcibel. 

Putnam  should  not  be  in  the  least  involved  in  the 
matter. 

Master  Raymond  therefore  had  been  practising 
up  in  the  woods  for  about  a  week,  at  what  the 
minister  had  failed  so  deplorably  in,  the  riding  of 
the  little  black  mare.  At  first  he  could  absolutely 
do  nothing  with  her;  she  would  not  be  ridden  by 
any  male  biped.  But  finally  he  adopted  a  sug 
gestion  of  quick-witted  Mistress  Putnam.  He 
put  on  a  side  saddle  and  a  skirt,  and  rode  the 
animal  woman  fashion — and  all  without  the  least 
difficulty.  The  little  mare  seeming  to  say  by  her 
behavior,  "Ah,  now,  that  is  sensible.  Why  did 
you  not  do  it  before  ?" 

So,  late  on  the  evening  appointed  for  the  at 
tempted  escape,  after  taking  an  affectionate  leave 
of  his  host  and  hostess,  and  putting  a  few  necessary 
articles  of  apparel  into  a  portmanteau  strapped 
behind  the  saddle,  Master  Raymond  started  for 
Salem  town. 

Leaving  the  village  to  the  right,  he  made  good 
time  to  the  town,  meeting  no  one  at  that  late  hour. 
He  had  covered  the  mare  with  a  large  horse-blan 
ket,  so  that  she  should  not  easily  be  recognized  by 
any  one  who  might  happen  to  meet  them.  There 
was  a  night  watchman  in  Salem  town;  but  a  party 


A  New  Plan  of  Escape.        219 

of  sailors  had  undertaken  to  get  him  off  the  princi 
pal  street  at  the  appointed  hour,  by  the  offer  of 
refreshments  at  one  of  their  haunts;  and  by  this 
time  he  was  too  full  of  Jamaica  spirits  to  walk 
very  steadily  or  see  very  clearly. 

Arrived  at  the  prison,  Master  Raymond  found 
the  Captain  and  mate  of  the  "Albatross"  impa 
tiently  awaiting  him.  It  was  not  full  time  yet, 
but  they  concluded  to  give  the  signal,  three  hoots 
of  an  owl;  which  the  mate  gave  with  great  force 
and  precision.  Still  all  seemed  dark  and  quiet 
as  before. 

Then  they  waited,  walking  up  and  down  to  keep 
the  blood  in  their  veins  in  motion,  as  the  nights 
were  a  little  cool. 

"It  is  full  time  now,"  said  the  Captain,  "give 
the  signal  again,  Brady." 

Brady  gave  it — if  anything  with  greater  force 
and  precision  than  before. 

But  not  a  sign  from  within. 

Had  the  jailer's  courage  given  away  at  the  last 
moment  ?  Or  could  he  have  betrayed  them  ? 
They  paced  up  and  down  for  an  hour  longer.  It 
was  evident  that,  for  some  reason  or  other,  the 
plan  had  miscarried. 

"Well,  there  is  no  use  awaiting  here,"  exclaimed 


220 


Dulcibel. 


the  Captain  of  the  "Albatross"  with  an  oath;  "I 
am  going  back  to  the  ship." 

Master  Raymond  acquiesced.  There  was  no 
use  in  waiting  longer.  And  so  he  re-donned  his 
petticoat — much  to  the  amusement  of  the  seamen 
and  started  back  to  Master  Putnam's  arriving 
there  in  the  darkest  hours  of  the  night,  just  before 
the  breaking  of  the  day. 


CHAPTER  XXXII. 
Why  the  Plan  Failed. 

The  reason  of  the  failure  of  the  plan  of  escape 
may  be  gathered  from  a  little  conversation  that 
took  place  between  Squire  Hathorne  and  Thomas 
Putnam  the  morning  of  the  day  fixed  upon  by 
Master  Philip  English. 

Thomas  Putnam  had  called  to  see  the  magistrate 
at  the  suggestion  of  that  not  very  admirable  but 
certainly  very  sharp-witted  wife  of  his.  I  do  not 
suppose  that  Thomas  Putnam  was  at  all  a  bad 
man,  but  it  is  a  lamentable  sight  to  see,  as  we  so 
often  do,  a  good  kind  honest-hearted  man  made 
a  mere  tool  of  by  some  keen-witted  and  unscru 
pulous  woman;  in  whose  goodness  he  believes, 
in  a  kind  of  small-minded  and  yet  not  altogether 
ignoble  spirit  of  devotion,  mainly  because  she  is  a 
woman.  Being  a  woman,  she  cannot  be,  as  he 
foolishly  supposes,  the  shallow-hearted,  mis 
chievous  being  that  she  really  is. 

"Do  you  know,  Squire,  how  Master  English's 
sailors  are  talking  around  the  wharves  ?" 

"No!  What  are  the  rascals  saying  ?" 

"Well,   Mistress   Putnam   has   been   told  by  a 


222  Dulcibel. 

friend  of  hers  in  the  town,  that  he  heard  a  half- 
drunken  sailor,  belonging  to  one  of  Master  Eng- 
ish's  vessels,  say  that  they  meant  to  tear  down  the 
jail  some  night,  hang  the  jailers,  and  carry  off  their 
Master  and  Mistress." 

"Ah,"  said  the  Squire,  "this  must  be  looked 
into." 

"Another  of  the  sailors  is  reported  to  have  said, 
that  if  the  magistrates  attempted  to  hang  Mistress 
English  they  would  hang  Squire  Hathorne,  and 
Squire  Gedney,  if  they  could  catch  him,  by  the 
side  of  her." 

"The    impudent    varlets!"    exclaimed    Squire 
Hathorne,   his   wine-red   face   growing   redder. 
"Master  English  shall  sweat  for  this.     How  many 
of  his  sailors  are  in  port  now  ?" 

"Oh,  I  suppose  there  are  fifty  of  them;  and  all 
reckless,  unprincipled  men.  To  my  certain 
knowledge,  there  is  not  a  member  of  church 
among  them." 

"The  godless  knaves!"  cried  the  magistrate. 
"I  should  like  to  set  the  whole  lot  of  them  in  the 
stocks,  and  then  whip  them  out  of  the  town  at  the 
cart's  tail." 

"Yes,  that  is  what  they  deserve,  but  then  we 
cannot  forget  that  they  are  necessary  to  the  inter- 


Why  the  Plan  Failed. 


22 


ests  of  the  town — unless  Salem  is  to  give  up  all  her 
shipping  business — and  these  sailors  are  so  clan 
nish  that  if  you  strike  one  of  them,  you  strike  all. 
No,  it  seems  to  me,  Squire,  we  had  better  take  no 
public  notice  of  their  vaporing;  but  simply  adopt 
means  to  counteract  any  plans  they  may  be  lay- 
ing." 

"Well,  what  would  you  suggest,  Master  Put 
nam  ?  Has  Mistress  Putnam  any  ideas  upon  the 
subject  ?  I  have  always  found  her  a  very  sen 
sible  woman." 

"Yes,  my  wife  is  a  very  remarkable  woman  if 
I  do  say  it,"  replied  Master  Putnam.  "Her  plan 
is  to  send  Master  English  and  his  wife  off  at  once 
to  Boston — that  will  save  us  all  further  trouble 
with  them  and  their  sailors." 

"A  capital  idea!  It  shall  be  carried  out  this  very 
clay,"  said  the  magistrate. 

"And  she  also  suggests  that  the  young  witch 
woman,  Dulcibel  Burton,  should  be  sent  with  them. 
That  friend  of  my  brother  Joseph,  is  still  staying 
around  here;  and  Mistress  Putnam  does  not 
exactly  comprehend  his  motives  for  so  long  a 
visit." 

"Ah,  indeed — what  motive  has  he?"  And 
Squire  Hathorne  rubbed  his  broad  forehead. 


224  Dulcibel. 

"There  was  some  talk  at  one  time  of  his  keeping 
company  with  Mistress  Burton." 

"What,  the  witch!  that  is  too  bad.  For  he 
seems  like  a  rather  pleasant  young  gentleman;  and 
I  hear  he  is  the  heir  of  a  large  estate  in  the  old 
country. " 

"Of  course  there  may  be  nothing  in  it — but 
Mistress  Putnam  also  heard  from  one  of  her 
female  cronies  the  other  day,  that  jailer  Foster  was 
at  one  time  a  mate  on  board  Captain  Burton's 
vessel." 

"Ah!" 

"And  you  know  how  very  handsome  that  Mis 
tress  Dulcibel  is;  and,  being  besides  a  witch  of 
great  power,  it  seems  to  Mistress  Putnam  that 
it  is  exposing  jailer  Foster  to  very  great  tempta 
tion." 

"Mistress  Putnam  is  quite  correct,"  said  Squire 
Hathorne.  "Mistress  Dulcibel  had  better  be 
transferred  to  Boston  also.  There  the  worshipful 
Master  Haughton  has  the  power  and  the  will 
to  see  that  all  these  imps  of  Satan  are  kept 
safely." 

"As  the  seamen  may  be  lying  around  and  make 
a  disturbance  if  the  removal  comes  to  their  knowl 
edge,  Mistress  Putnam  suggested  that  it  had  better 


Why  the  Plan  Failed.  225 

not  be  done  until  evening.  It  would  be  a  night 
ride;  but  then,  as  Mistress  Putnam  said,  witches 
rather  preferred  to  make  their  journeys  in  the 
night  time — so  that  it  would  be  a  positive  kindness 
to  the  prisoners." 

"Very  true!  very  well  thought  of!"  replied 
Squire  Hathorne,  with  a  grim  smile.  "And  no 
doubt  they  will  be  very  thankful  that  we  furnish 
them  with  horses  instead  of  broom-sticks.  Though 
as  for  Mistress  Dulcibel,  I  suppose  she  would 
prefer  her  familiar,  the  black  mare,  to  any  other 
animal." 

"That  was  very  marvelous.  Abigail  Williams 
says  that  she  is  certain  that  the  mare,  after  jump 
ing  the  gate,  never  came  down  to  earth  again,  but 
flew  straight  on  up  into  the  thundercloud." 

"And  it  thundered  when  the  black  beast  entered 
the  cloud,  did  it  not?"  said  the  magistrate  in  a 
sobered  tone.  He  evidently  saw  nothing  unrea 
sonable  in  the  story. 

"Yes — it  thundered — but  not  the  common  kind 
of  thunder — it  was  enough  to  make  your  flesh 
creep.  The  minister  says  he  is  only  too  thankful 
that  the  Satanic  beast  did  throw  him  off.  He 
might  have  been  carried  off  to  hell  with  her." 

"Yes,  it  was  a  very  foolish  thing  to  get  on  the 
15 


226  Dulcibel. 

back  of  a  witch's  familiar,"  said  the  magistrate. 
"  It  was  tempting  Providence.  And  Master  Parris 
has  cause  for  thankfulness  that  only  such  a  mild 
reproof  as  a  slight  wetting,  was  allowed  to  be 
inflicted  upon  him.  These  are  perilous  times, 
Master  Putnam.  Satan  is  truly  going  about  like 
a  roaring  lion,  seeking  what  he  may  devour. 
Against  this  chosen  seed, — this  little  remnant  of 
God's  people  left  upon  the  whole  earth — no  won 
der  that  he  is  tearing  and  raging." 

"Ah  me,  my  Christian  friend,  it  is  too  true! 
And  no  wonder  that  he  is  so  bold,  and  full  of  joy 
ful  subtlety.  For  is  he  not  prevailing,  in  spite  of 
all  our  efforts  ?  You  know  there  are  at  least  four 
hundred  members  of  what  rightly  calls  itself  the 
Church  of  England — for  certainly  it  is  not  the 
church  of  Christ— in  Boston  alone!  When  the 
royal  Governor  made  the  town  authorities  give  up 
the  South  Church — even  our  own  Church,  built 
with  our  own  money — to  their  so-called  Rector 
to  hold  their  idolatrous  services  in,  we  might  have 
known  that  Satan  was  at  our  doors!" 

"Oh,  that  such  horrible  things  should  happen  in 
the  godly  town  of  Boston!"  responded  Squire 
Hathorne.  "But  when  the  King  interfered 
between  Justice  and  the  Quakers,  and  forbade 


Why  the  Plan  Failed.  227 

the  righteous  discipline  we  were  exercising  upon 
them,  of  course  a  door  was  opened  for  all  other 
latitudinarianism  and  false  doctrine.  Why,  I  am 
told  that  there  are  now  quite  a  number  of  Quakers 
in  Boston;  and  that  they  even  had  the  assurance 
to  apply  to  the  magistrates  the  other  day,  for 
permission  to  erect  a  meeting-house!" 

"Impossible!"  exclaimed  Master  Putnam. 
"They  ought  to  have  been  whipped  out  of  their 
presence." 

"Yes,"  continued  the  worthy  Magistrate  ire- 
fully;  "but  when  the  King  ordered  that  the  right 
of  voting  for  our  rulers  should  no  longer  be  restrict 
ed  to  church-members;  but  that  every  man  of 
fair  estate  and  good  moral  character,  as  he  phrases 
it,  should  be  allowed  to  vote,  even  if  he  is  not  a 
member  at  all,  he  aimed  a  blow  at  the  very  Mag 
istracy  itself." 

"Yes,  that  is  worse  than  heresy!  And  how  can  a 
man  possess  a  good  moral  character,  without 
being  a  member  of  the  true  church  ?" 

"Of  course — that  is  self-evident.  But  it  shows 
how  the  righteous  seed  is  being  overflooded  with 
iniquity,  even  in  its  last  chosen  house;  how  our 
Canaan  is  being  given  up  to  the  Philistines.  And 
therefore  it  is,  doubtless,  that  Satan,  in  the  pride 


228  Dulcibel. 

of  his  success,  is  introducing  his  emissaries  into 
the  very  house  of  the  Lord  itself;  and  promising 
great  rewards  to  them  who  will  bow  down  and 

O 

sign  their  names  in  his  red  book,  and  worship  him. 
Ah!  we  have  fallen  on  evil  times,  Master  Put 
nam.'* 

And  so  the  two  worthy  Puritans  condoled  with 
each  other,  until,  Master  Putnam,  bethinking 
himself  that  he  had  some  worldly  business  to 
attend  to,  Squire  Hathorne  proceeded  to  give  the 
necessary  directions  for  the  removal  of  the  three 
prisoners  from  Salem  to  Boston  jail. 

This  was  accomplished  that  very  night,  as 
Mistress  Putnam  had  suggested;  Deputy  Mar 
shall  Herrick  and  a  constable  guarding  the  party. 
Dulcibel  occupied  a  pillion  behind  jailer  Foster; 
Master  English  and  his  wife  rode  together;  while 
Master  Herrick  and  the  constable  each  had  a 
horse  to  himself. 

The  original  plan  was  for  Dulcibel  to  ride  be 
hind  Master  Herrick;  but  upon  jailer  Foster 
representing  that  there  might  be  some  danger  of  a 
rescue,  and  offering  to  join  the  party,  it  was 
arranged  that  he  should  have  special  charge  of 
Mistress  Dulcibel,  whom  he  represented  to  Herrick 
as  being  in  his  opinion  a  most  marvelous  witch. 


Why  the  Plan  Failed.  229 

Uncle  Robie's  true  reason  for  going,  however,  was 
that  the  jailer  in  Boston  was  an  old  friend  of  his, 
and  he  wished  to  speak  a  secret  word  to  him  that 
might  insure  Dulcibel  kinder  treatment  than  was 
usually  given  in  Boston  jail  to  any  alleged  trans 
gressor. 


CHAPTER  XXXIII. 
Mistress  Ann  Putnam's  Fair  Warning. 

In  the  course  of  the  next  day  the  removal  of  the 
three  prisoners  became  known  to  everybody. 
Master  Raymond  wondered  when  he  heard  it, 
whether  it  was  a  check-mate  to  the  plan  of  escape, 
with  which  the  magistrates,  in  some  way  had 
become  acquainted;  or  whether  it  was  a  mere 
chance  coincidence.  Finally  he  satisfied  himself 
that  it  was  the  latter — though  no  doubt  suggested 
by  the  rather  loose  threats  of  Master  English's 
many  sailors. 

When  jailer  Foster  returned,  he  found  means  to 
inform  Master  Raymond  that  it  had  been  entirely 
impossible — so  suddenly  was  the  whole  thing 
sprung  upon  him — to  let  anyone  in  their  secret 
know  of  what  was  going  on.  He  had  not  even 
taken  the  assistant  jailer,  his  own  son,  into  his 
confidence,  because  he  did  not  wish  to  expose  him 
to  needless  danger.  His  son  was  not  required  to 
afford  any  help,  and  therefore  it  would  be  unwise 
to  incur  any  risk  of  punishment.  Besides,  while 
Uncle  Robie  had  made  up  his  mind  to  do  some  tall 
lying  of  his  own  for  the  sake  of  saving  innocent 


Ann  Putnam's  Fair  Warning    231 

lives,  he  saw  no  reason  why  his  son,  should  be 
placed  under  a  similar  necessity.  Lying  seemed 
to  be  absolutely  needful  in  the  case;  but  it  was  well 
to  do  as  little  of  it  as  possible. 

From  his  conversation  with  Master  Herrick, 
Uncle  Robie  concluded  that  nothing  had  been 
divulged;  and  that  the  magistrates  had  acted  only 
on  the  supposition  that  trouble  of  some  kind 
might  result  from  the  sailors.  And,  looked  at 
from  that  point  of  view,  it  was  quite  sufficient  to 
account  for  the  removal  of  two  of  the  prisoners. 
As  to  why  Dulcibel  also  should  be  sent  to  Boston, 
he  could  get  no  satisfactory  explanation.  It 
seemed  in  fact  to  be  a  matter  of  mere  caprice,  so 
far  as  uncle  Robie  could  find  out. 

They  had  pushed  on  through  the  night  to  Bos 
ton — about  a  four  hours'  slow  ride — and  delivered 
the  three  prisoners  safely  to  the  keeper  of  Boston 
jail.  Uncle  Robie  adding  the  assurance  to  Good- 
wife  Buckley — who  acted  as  Master  Raymond's 
confidential  agent  in  the  matter — that  he  had 
spoken  a  word  to  his  old  crony  who  believed  no 
more  in  witches  than  he  did,  which  would  insure 
to  her  as  kind  treatment  as  possible.  And  Robie 
further  said  that  he  had  been  assured  by  the  Boston 
jailer,  that  Mistress  Phips,  the  wife  of  the  Gov- 


232  Dulcibel. 

ernor,  had  no  sympathy  whatever  with  the  witch 
craft  prosecutions,  but  a  great  deal  of  sympathy 
for  the  victims  of  it. 

The  game  was  therefore  played  out  at  Salem, 
now  that  Dulcibel  had  been  transferred  to  Boston; 
and  Master  Raymond  began  to  make  arrange 
ments  at  once  to  leave  the  place.  In  some  respects 
the  change  of  scene  was  for  the  worse;  for  he  had 
no  hold  upon  the  Boston  jailer,  and  had  no  friend 
there  like  Joseph  Putnam,  prepared  to  go  to  any 
length  on  his  behalf.  But,  on  the  other  hand,  in 
Boston  they  seemed  outside  of  the  circle  of  Mistress 
Ann  Putnam's  powerful  and  malign  influence. 
This  of  itself  was  no  small  gain;  and,  thinking  over 
the  whole  matter,  Master  Raymond  came  to  the 
conclusion  that  perhaps  the  chances  of  escape 
would  be  even  greater  in  Boston  than  in 
Salem. 

So,  in  the  course  of  the  ensuing  week,  Master 
Raymond  took  an  affectionate  leave  of  his  kind 
young  host  and  hostess,  and  departed  for  Boston 
town,  avowedly  on  his  way  back  to  his  English 
home.  This  last  was  of  course  brought  out 
prominently  in  all  his  leave-takings — he  was,  after 
a  short  stay  in  Boston,  to  embark  for  England. 
"What  shall  I  send  you  from  England?"  was 


Ann  Putnam's  Fair  Warning.    233 

among  his  last  questions  to  the  various  members  of 
the  "afflicted  circle."  And  one  said  laughingly 
one  thing,  and  one  another;  the  young  man  taking 
it  gravely,  and  making  a  note  in  his  little  note 
book  of  each  request.  If  things  should  come  to  the 
worst,  he  was  putting  himself  in  a  good  position  to 
influence  the  character  of  the  testimony.  A  hun 
dred  pounds  in  this  way  would  be  money  well 
employed. 

Even  to  Mistress  Ann  Putnam  he  did  not  hesi 
tate  to  put  the  same  question,  after  a  friendly  leave- 
taking.  Mistress  Putnam  rather  liked  the  young 
Englishman;  it  was  mainly  against  Dulcibel  as 
the  friend  of  her  brother-in-law  that  she  had 
warred;  and  if  Master  Raymond  had  not  also 
been  the  warm  friend  and  guest  of  Joseph  Putnam, 
she  might  have  relented  in  her  persecution  of  Dul 
cibel  for  his  sake.  But  her  desire  to  pain  and 
punish  Master  Joseph, — who  had  said  so  many 
things  against  her  in  the  Putnam  family— over 
powered  all  such  sentimental  considerations.  Be 
sides,  what  Dulcibel  had  said  of  her  when  before 
the  magistrates,  had  greatly  incensed  her. 

"What  shall  you  send  me  from  England  ?  And 
are  you  really  going  back  there  ?"  And  she  fixed 
her  cold  green  eyes  upon  the  young  man's  face. 


234  Dulcibel. 

"Oh,  yes,  I  am  going  back  again,  like  the  bad 
penny,"  replied  Master  Raymond  smiling. 

"How  soon  ?" 

"Oh,  I  cannot  say  exactly.  Perhaps  the  Bos 
ton  gentlemen  may  be  so  fascinating  that  they  will 
detain  me  longer  than  I  have  planned." 

"Is  it  because  the  Salem  gentlewomen  are  so 
fascinating  that  you  have  remained  here  ?  We 
feel  quite  complimented  in  the  village  by  the  length 
of  your  visit." 

"Yes,  I  have  found  the  Salem  gentlewomen 
among  the  most  charming  of  their  sex.  But  you 
have  not  told  me  what  I  shall  send  you  from  Lon 
don  when  I  return  ?" 

"Oh,  I  leave  that  entirely  with  you,  and  to  your 
own  good  taste.  Perhaps  by  the  time  you  get 
back  to  London,  you  will  not  wish  to  send  me 
anything." 

"I  cannot  imagine  such  a  case.  But  I  shall 
endeavor,  as  you  leave  it  all  to  me,  to  find  some 
thing  pretty  and  appropriate;  something  suited  to 
the  most  gifted  person,  among  men  and  women, 
that  I  have  found  in  the  New  World." 

Mistress  Putnam's  face  colored  with  evident 
pleasure — even  she  was  not  averse  to  a  compliment 
of  this  kind;  knowing,  as  she  did,  that  she  had  a 


Ann  Putnam's  Fair  Warning.    235 

wonderful  intellectual  capacity  for  planning  and 
scheming.  In  fact  if  she  had  possessed  as  large 
a  heart  as  brain,  she  would  have  been  a  very  noble 
and  even  wonderful  woman.  Master  Raymond 
thought  he  had  told  no  falsehood  in  calling  her 
the  "most  gifted" — he  considered  her  so  in  certain 
directions. 

And  so  they  parted — the  last  words  of  Mistress 
Putnam  being,  the  young  man  thought,  very 
significant  ones. 

"I  would  not,"  she  said  in  a  light,  but  still 
impressive  manner,  "if  I  were  you,  stay  a  very 
long  time  in  Boston.  There  is,  I  think,  something 
dangerous  to  the  health  of  strangers  in  the  air  of 
that  town,  of  late.  It  would  be  a  very  great  pity 
for  you  to  catch  one  of  our  deadly  fevers,  and  never 
be  able  to  return  to  your  home  and  friends.  Take 
my  advice  now — it  is  honest  and  well  meant — and 
do  not  linger  long  in  the  dangerous  air  of  Boston." 

Thanking  her  for  her  solicitude  as  to  his  health, 
Master  Raymond  shook  her  thin  hand  and  de 
parted.  But  all  the  ride  back  to  Joseph  Putnam's, 
he  was  thinking  over  those  last  words. 

What  was  their  real  meaning  ?  What  could  they 
mean  but  this  ?  "You  are  going  to  Boston  to  try 
to  save  Dulcibel  Burton.  I  do  not  want  to  hurt 


236  Dulcibel. 

you;  but  I  may  be  compelled  to  do  it.  Leave 
Boston  as  soon  as  you  can,  and  spare  me  the 
necessity  that  may  arise  of  denouncing  you  also. 
Joseph  Putnam,  whom  I  hate,  but  whose  person 
and  household  I  am  for  family  reasons  compelled 
to  respect,  when  you  are  in  Boston  is  no  longer 
your  protector.  I  can  just  as  easily,  and  even  far 
more  easily,  reach  you  than  I  could  reach  Captain 
Alden.  Beware  how  you  interfere  with  my  plans. 
Even  while  I  pity  you,  I  shall  not  spare  you!'* 


CHAPTER  XXXIV. 
Master  Raymond  Goes  Again  to  Boston. 

Master  Raymond  had  agreed  to  keep  his  friend 
Joseph  Putnam  informed  by  letter  of  his  move 
ments — for  there  had  been  a  postal  system  estab 
lished  a  number  of  years  before  through  the 
Massachusetts  colony — but  of  course  he  had  to  be 
very  careful  as  to  what  he  put  upon  paper;  the 
Puritan  official  mind  not  being  over-scrupulous  as 
to  the  means  it  took  of  attaining  its  ends. 

He  had  brought  excellent  letters  to  persons  of 
the  highest  character  in  Boston,  and  had  received 
invitations  from  many  of  them  to  make  his  home 
in  their  houses — for  the  Boston  people  of  all 
classes,  and  especially  the  wealthy,  obeyed  the 
Scriptural  injunction,  and  were  "given  to  hospi 
tality;"  which  I  believe  is  true  to  the  present  day. 
But  Master  Raymond,  considering  the  errand  he 
was  on,  thought  it  wisest  to  take  up  his  abode  at  an 
Inn — lest  he  might  involve  his  entertainers  in  the 
peril  attending  his  unlawful  but  righteous  designs. 
So  he  took  a  cheery  room  at  the  Red  Lion,  in  the 
northern  part  of  the  town,  which  was  quite  a 
reputable  house,  and  convenient  for  many  purposes 

237 


238  Dulcibel. 

not  the  least  being  its  proximity  to  the  harbor, 
which  made  it  a  favorite  resort  for  the  better  class 
of  sea-captains. 

Calling  around  upon  the  families  to  which  he 
had  presented  letters  on  his  first  visit,  immediately 
after  his  arrival  in  the  colony,  he  speedily  estab 
lished  very  pleasant  social  relations  with  a  good 
many  very  different  circles.  And  he  soon  was 
able  to  sum  up  the  condition  of  affairs  in  the 
town  as  follows: 

First,  there  was  by  far  the  most  numerous  and 
the  ruling  sect,  the  Puritans.  The  previous 
Governor,  shut  out  by  King  James,  Sir  Edmund 
Andros,  had  been  an  Episcopalian;  but  the  present 
one  sent  out  on  the  accession  of  William  and  Mary, 
Sir  William  Phips,  was  himself  a  Puritan,  sitting 
under  the  weekly  teachings  of  the  Reverend  Mas 
ter  Cotton  Mather  at  the  North  church. 

Then  there  was  an  Episcopal  circle,  composed  of 
about  four  hundred  people  in  all,  meeting  at 
King's  Chapel,  built  about  three  years  before,  with 
the  Reverend  Master  Robert  Ratcliffe  as  Rector. 

Besides  these,  there  was  a  small  number  of 
Quakers,  now  dwelling  in  peace,  so  far  as  personal 
manifestations  were  concerned,  being  protected 
by  the  King's  mandate.  These  had  even  grown 


Raymond  Goes  again  to  Boston.    239 

so  bold  of  late,  as  to  be  seeking  permission  to  erect 
a  meeting-house;  which  almost  moved  the  Puritan 
divines  to  prophesy  famine,  earthquakes  and  pes 
tilence  as  the  results  of  such  an  ungodly  toleration 
of  heresy. 

Then  there  were  a  number  of  Baptists,  who  also 
now  dwelt  in  peace,  under  the  King's  protection. 

Adding  to  the  foregoing  the  people  without  any 
religion  to  speak  of,  who  principally  belonged  to  or 
were  connected  with  the  seafaring  class,  and  Mas 
ter  Raymond  found  that  he  had  a  pretty  clear 
idea  of  the  inhabitants  of  Boston. 

In  relation  to  the  Witchcraft  prosecutions,  the 
young  Englishman  ascertained  that  the  above 
classes  seemed  to  favor  the  prosecutions  just  in 
proportion  to  the  extent  of  their  Puritan  orthodoxy. 
The  great  majority  of  the  Puritans  believed 
devoutly  in  witches,  and  in  the  duty  of  obeying 
the  command,  "Thou  shalt  not  snfFer  a  witch  to 
live."  And  generally  in  proportion  to  a  Puritan 
church-member's  orthodoxy,  was  the  extent  of  his 
belief  in  witchcraft,  and  the  fierceness  of  his  exter 
minating  zeal. 

The  Episcopalians  and  the  Baptists  were  either 
very  luke-warm,  or  else  in  decided  opposition  to  the 
prosecutions  looking  upon  them  as  simply  addi- 


240  Dulcibel. 

tional  proofs  of  Puritan  narrowness,  intolerance 
and  bigotry. 

The  Quakers  held  to  the  latter  opinion  even 
more  firmly  than  the  liberal  Episcopalians  and 
Baptists:  adding  to  it  the  belief  that  it  was  a 
judgment  allowed  to  come  upon  the  Puritans,  to 
punish  them  for  their  cruelty  to  God's  chosen 
messengers. 

As  for  the  seafaring  class,  they  looked  upon  the 
whole  affair  as  a  piece  of  madness,  which  could 
only  overtake  people  whose  contracted  notions 
were  a  result  of  perpetually  living  in  one  place,  and 
that  on  the  land.  And  since  the  arrest  of  a  man 
so  well  thought  of,  and  of  their  own  class  as  Cap 
tain  Alden,  the  vocabulary  allowed  by  the  law  in 
Boston  was  entirely  too  limited  to  embrace  ade 
quately  a  seaman's  emphatic  sense  of  the  iniquitous 
proceedings.  As  one  of  them  forcibly  expressed 
himself  to  Master  Raymond: — "He  would  be 
condemned,  if  he  wouldn't  like  to  see  the  condemned 
town  of  Boston,  and  all  its  condemned  preachers, 
buried  like  Port  Royal,  ten  condemned  fathoms 
deep,  under  the  condemned  soil  upon  which  it  was 
built!"  He  used  another  emphatic  word  of 
course,  in  the  place  of  the  word  condemned',  but 
that  doubtless  was  because  at  that  time  they  had 


Raymond  Goes  again  to  Boston.    241 

not  our  "revised  version"  of  the  New  Testa 
ment. 

The  sea-captain  who  expressed  himself  in  this 
emphatic  way  to  Master  Raymond,  was  the  cap 
tain  in  whose  vessel  he  had  come  over  from  Eng 
land,  and  who  had  made  another  voyage  back 
and  forth  since  that  time.  The  young  man  was 
strolling  around  the  wharves,  gazing  at  the  vessels 
when  he  had  been  accosted  by  the  aforesaid  cap 
tain.  At  that  particular  moment  however,  he  had 
come  to  a  stand,  earnestly  regarding,  as  he  had 
several  times  before,  a  vessel  that  was  lying 
anchored  out  in  the  stream. 

After  passing  some  additional  words  with  the 
captain  upon  various  matters,  and  especially  upon 
the  witches,  a  subject  that  every  conversation  at 
that  time  was  apt  to  be  very  full  of,  he  turned 
towards  the  water  and  said: — 

"That  seems  to  be  a  good  craft  out  there." 

It  was  a  vessel  of  two  masts,  slender  and  raking, 
and  with  a  long,  low  hull— something  of  the  model 
which  a  good  many  years  later,  went  by  the  name 
of  the  Baltimore  clipper. 

"Yes,  she   is   a   beauty!"   replied  the  captain. 

"She  looks  as  if  she  might  be  a  good  sailer." 

"Good!  I  reckon  she  is.  The  Storm  King  can 
16 


242  Dulcibel. 

show  her  heels  to  any  vessel  that  goes  out  of  this 
port — or  out  of  London  either,  for  that  matter." 

"What  is  she  engaged  in  ?" 

Here  the  captain  gave  a  low  whistle,  and  fol 
lowed  it  up  with  a  wink." 

"Buccaneers  occasionally,   I   suppose?" 

"Oh,  Captain  Tolley  is  not  so  very  condemned 
particular  what  he  does — so  that  of  course  it  is 
entirely  lawful,"  and  the  captain  winked  again. 
"He  owns  his  vessel,  you  see — carries  her  in  his 
pocket — and  has  no  condemned  lot  of  land-lubber 
owners  on  shore  who  cannot  get  away  if  there  is 
any  trouble,  from  the  condemned  magistrates  and 
constables." 

"That  is  an  advantage  sometimes,"  said  the 
young  man.  He  was  thinking  of  his  own  case 
probably. 

"  Of  course  it  is.  Law  is  a  very  good  thing — in 
its  place.  But  if  I  buy  a  bag  of  coffee  in  the  East 
Indies  or  in  South  America,  why  should  I  have  to 
pay  a  lot  of  money  on  it,  before  I  am  allowed  to 
sell  it  to  the  people  that  like  coffee  in  some  other 
country?  Condemn  it!  There's  no  justice  in  it." 

Master  Raymond  was  in  no  mood  just  then  to 
argue  great  moral  questions.  So  he  answered  by 
asking: — 


Raymond  Goes  again  to  Boston. 


243 


"Captain  Tolley  does  not  make  too  many 
inquiries  then  when  a  good  offer  is  made  him  ?" 

"Do  not  misunderstand  me,  young  man," 
replied  the  captain  gravely.  "  My  friend,  Captain 
Tolley,  would  be  the  last  man  to  commit  piracy, 
or  anything  of  that  kind.  But  just  look  at  the  case. 
Here  Captain  Tolley  is,  off  at  sea,  attending  to  his 
proper  business.  Well,  he  comes  into  some  con 
demned  port,  just  to  get  a  little  water  perhaps,  and 
some  fresh  provisions;  and  hears  that  while  he  has 
been  away,  these  condemned  land-lubbers  have 
been  making  some  new  rules  and  regulations, 
without  even  asking  any  of  us  seafaring  men  any 
thing  about  it.  Then,  if  we  do  not  obey  their 
foolish  rules,  they  nab  us  when  we  come  into  port 
again,  and  fine  us — perhaps  put  us  in  the  bilboes. 
Now,  as  a  fair  man,  do  you  call  that  justice  ?" 

Master  Raymond  laughed  good-humoredly.  "  I 
see  it  has  its  unfair  side,"  said  he.  "By  the  way, 
I  should  like  to  look  over  that  vessel  of  his.  Could 
you  give  me  a  line  of  introduction  to  him  ?" 

"Of  course  I  can — nothing  pleases  Tolley  more 
than  to  have  people  admire  his  vessel — even 
though  a  landsman's  admiration,  you  know,  really 
cannot  seem  of  much  account  to  a  sailor.  But  I 
cannot  write  here;  let  us  adjourn  to  the  Lion." 


CHAPTER  XXXV. 
Captain  Tolley  and  the  Storm  King. 

The  next  day  furnished  with  a  brief  note  of 
introduction,  Master  Raymond,  with  the  aid  of  a 
skiff,  put  himself  on  the  deck  of  the  Storm  King. 
Captain  Tolley  received  him  with  due  courtesy, 
wondering  who  the  stranger  was.  The  Captain 
was  a  well-built,  athletic,  though  not  very  large 
man,  with  a  face  naturally  dark  in  hue,  and  bronzed 
by  exposure  to  the  southern  sun.  As  Master 
Raymond  ascertained  afterwards,  he  was  the  son 
of  an  English  father  and  a  Spanish  mother;  and 
he  could  speak  English,  French  and  Spanish  with 
equal  facility.  While  he  considered  himself  an 
Englishman  of  birth,  his  nationality  sat  very  loosely 
upon  him;  and,  if  need  be,  he  was  just  as  willing 
to  run  up  the  French  or  Spanish  colors  on  the 
Storm  King,  as  the  red  cross  of  St. George. 

After  reading  the  note  of  introduction,  Captain 
Tolley  gave  a  keen  look  at  his  visitor.  "  Yes,  the 
Storm  King  is  a  bird  and  a  beauty,"  said  he 
proudly.  "Look  at  her!  See  what  great  wings 
she  has!  And  what  a  hull,  to  cut  the  seas!  She 

was  built  after  my  own  plans.     Give    me    plenty 

244 


Captain  Tolley  and  Storm  King.  245 

of  sea-room,  and  a  fair  start,  and  I  will  laugh  at  all 
the  gun  frigates  of  the  royal  navy. " 

"She  looks  to  be  all  you  say,"  said  his  visitor 
admiringly — but  rather  surprised  that  not  an  oath 
had  yet  fallen  from  the  lips  of  the  Captain.  He 
had  not  learned  that  Captain  Tolley,  to  use  his 
own  language,  "never  washed  his  ammunition  in 
port  or  in  mild  weather."  When  aroused  by  a 
severe  storm  or  other  peril,  the  Captain  was  trans 
formed  into  a  different  man.  Then,  in  the  war 
of  the  elements,  or  of  man's  angry  passions,  he  also 
lightened  and  thundered,  and  swore  big  guns. 

"Let  us  go  down  into  the  cabin,"  said  the 
Captain.  Reaching  there,  he  rilled  a  couple  of 
glasses  with  wine  and  putting  the  decanter  on  the 
table,  invited  his  visitor  to  be  seated.  Then,  clos 
ing  the  door,  he  said  with  a  smile,  "nothing  that 
is  said  inside  this  cabin  ever  is  told  anywhere 
else." 

There  was  that  in  the  speech,  bearing  and  looks 
of  Captain  Tolley  which  inspired  Master  Ray 
mond  with  great  confidence  in  him.  "I  feel  that 
I  may  trust  you,  Captain,"  he  said  earnestly. 

"I  have  done  business  for  a  great  many  gentle 
men,  and  no  one  ever  found  me  untrue  to  him," 
replied  Captain  Tolley,  proudly.  "Some  things 


246  Dulcibel. 

I  will  not  do  for  anybody,  or  for  any  price;  but 
that  ends  it.  I  never  betray  confidence." 

"Do  you  believe  in  witches,  Captain?" 

"Indeed  I  do." 

"Well  I  suppose  that  settles  it,"  replied  the 
young  man  in  a  disappointed  tone,  rising  to  his 
feet. 

"I  know  a  little  witch  down  in  Jamaica,  that  has 
been  tormenting  me  almost  to  death  for  the  last 
three  years.  But  I  tell  you  she  is  a  beauty — as 
pretty  as,  as — the  Storm  King!  She  doesn't  carry 
quite  as  many  petticoats  though,"  added  the 
Captain  laughing. 

"Oh!  That  is  the  kind  of  witch  you  mean!" 
and  Master  Raymond  sat  down  again. 

"  It  is  the  only  kind  that  I  ever  came  across — and 
they  are  bad  enough  for  me,"  responded  the  Cap 
tain  drily. 

"I  know  a  little  witch  of  that  kind,"  said  Master 
Raymond,  humoring  the  Captain's  fancy;  "but 
she  is  now  in  Boston  prison,  and  in  danger  of  her 
life." 

"  Ah !  I  think  I  have  heard  something  of  her — very 
beautiful,  is  she  not  ?  I  caught  a  glimpse  of  her 
when  I  went  up  to  see  Captain  Alden,  who  the 
bigoted  fools  have  got  in  limbo  there.  I  could  not 


Captain  Tolley  and  Storm  King.  247 

help  laughing  at  Alden — the  idea  of  calling  him  a 
witch.  Alden  is  a  religious  man,  you  know!" 

"But  it  may  cost  him  his  life!" 

"That  is  what  I  went  to  see  him  about.  I 
offered  to  come  up  with  a  party  some  night,  break 
open  the  jail,  and  carry  him  off  to  New  York  in 
the  Storm  King." 

"Well?" 

"Oh,  you  know  the  better  people  are  not  in  the 
jail,  but  in  the  jailer's  house — having  given  their 
promise  to  Keeper  Arnold  that  they  will  not  try 
to  escape,  if  thus  kindly  treated.  And  besides, 
if  he  runs  off,  they  will  confiscate  his  property;  of 
which  Alden  foolishly  has  a  good  deal  in  houses 
and  lands.  So  he  thinks  it  the  best  policy  to  hold 
on  to  his  anchor,  and  see  if  the  storm  will  not  blow 
itself  out." 

"And  so  you  have  no  conscientious  scruples 
against  breaking  the  law,  by  carrying  off  any  of 
these  imprisoned  persons  ?" 

"Conscientious  scruples  and  the  Puritan  laws 
be  d !"  exclaimed  the  Captain;  thinking  per 
haps  that  this  was  an  occasion  when  he  might  with 
propriety  break  his  rule  as  to  swearing  while  in 
port. 

"Your  language   expresses   my   sentiments   ex- 


248  Dulcibel. 

actly!"  responded  the  young  Englishman,  who 
had  never  uttered  an  oath  in  his  life.  "Captain, 
I  am  betrothed  to  that  young  lady  you  saw  when 
you  went  to  see  Captain  Alden.  If  she  is  ever 
brought  to  trial,  those  Salem  hell-hounds  will 
swear  away  her  life.  I  mean  to  rescue  her — or 
die  with  her.  I  am  able  and  willing  to  pay  you 
any  reasonable  price  for  your  aid  and  assistance, 
Will  you  help  me  ?" 

The  Captain  sprang  to  his  feet.  "Will  I  help 
you  ?  The  great  God  dash  the  Storm  King  to 
pieces  on  her  next  voyage  if  I  fail  you!  See  here," 
taking  a  letter  out  of  a  drawer,  "  it  is  a  profitable 
offer  just  made  me.  But  it  is  a  mere  matter  of 
merchandise;  and  this  is  a  matter  of  a  woman's 
life!  You  shall  pay  me  what  you  can  offord  to, 
and  what  you  think  right;  but,  money  or  no 
money,  I  and  the  Storm  King,  and  her  brave  crew, 
who  will  follow  wherever  I  lead,  are  at  your  ser 
vice!" 

As  Captain  Tolley  uttered  these  words,  in  an 
impassioned,  though  low  voice,  and  with  a  glowing 
face  and  sparkling  blue  eyes,  Master  Raymond 
thought  he  had  never  seen  a  handsomer  man. 
He  grasped  the  Captain's  extended  hand,  and 
shook  it  warmly.  "I  shall  never  forget  this  noble 


Captain  Tolley  and  Storm  King.  249 

offer,"  he  exclaimed.  And  he  never  did  forget 
it;  for  from  that  moment  the  two  were  life-long 
friends. 

"What  is  your  plan  ?"  said  the  Captain. 

"A  peaceable  escape  if  possible.  If  not,  what 
you  propose  to  Captain  Alden." 

"I  should  like  the  last  the  best,"  said  the  Cap 
tain. 

"Why,  it  would  expose  you  to  penalties — and 
keep  your  vessel  hereafter  out  of  Boston  harbor. " 

"You  see  that  I  have  an  old  grudge  of  my  own," 
replied  the  Captain.  "These  Puritan  rascals  once 
arrested  me  for  bringing  some  Quakers  from 
Barbadoes — good,  honest,  innocent  people,  a  little 
touched  here,  you  know," — and  the  Captain 
tapped  his  broad,  brown  brow  with  his  ringer. 
"They  caught  me  on  shore,  fined  me,  and  would 
have  put  me  in  the  stocks;  but  my  mate  got  word 
of  it,  we  were  lying  out  in  the  storm,  trained  two 
big  guns  to  bear  upon  the  town,  and  gave  them 
just  fifteen  minutes  to  send  me  on  board  again. 
That  was  twenty  years  ago,  and  I  have  not  been 
here  since." 

"They  sent  you  on  board,  I  suppose?" 

"Oh,  the  Saints  are  not  fools,"  replied  the  Cap 
tain,  laughing.  "As  for  being  shut  out  of  Boston 


250  Dulcibel. 

harbor  hereafter,  I  do  not  fear  that  much.  The 
reign  of  the  Saints  is  nearly  over.  Do  you  not  see 
that  the  Quakers  are  back,  and  the  Baptists,  and 
the  prayer-book  men,  as  they  call  the  Episcopal 
ians! — and  they  do  not  touch  them,  though  they 
would  whip  the  whole  of  them  out  of  the  Prov 
ince,  at  the  cart's  tail,  if  they  dared.  But  there 
are  Kings  in  Israel  again!"  and  the  Captain 
laughed  heartily.  "And  the  Kings  are  always 
better  shepherds  to  the  flock  than  the  Priests." 

"You  may  have  to  lie  here  idle  for  a  while;  but 
I  will  bear  the  expense  of  it, "said  Master  Ray 
mond.  "  Have  the  proper  papers  drawn  up,  and  I 
will  sign  them." 

"No,  there  shall  be  no  papers  between  you  and 
me,"  rejoined  the  Captain  stoutly.  "I  hate  these 
lawyers'  pledges.  I  never  deal  with  a  man,  if  I 
can  help  it,  who  needs  a  signed  and  sealed  paper 
to  keep  him  to  his  word.  I  know  what  you  are, 
and  you  ought  to  be  able  to  see  by  this  time  what 
I  am.  The  Storm  King  shall  lie  here  three 

D 

months,  if  need  be — and  you  shall  pay  me  monthly 
my  reasonable  charges.  But  I  will  make  out  no 
bill,  and  you  shall  have  no  receipt,  to  cause  any 
trouble  to  anybody,  hereafter." 

"That  will  suit  me,"  replied  Master  Raymond, 


Captain  Tolley  and  Storm  King.  251 

"I  shall  be  in  the  bar-room  of  the  Red  Lion  every 
morning  at  ten.  You  must  be  there  too.  But 
we  will  only  nod  to  each  other,  unless  I  have 
something  to  tell  you.  Then  I  will  slip  a  note 
into  your  hand,  making  an  appointment  for  an 
interview.  I  fear  there  may  be  spies  upon  my 
movements." 

Captain  Tolley  assenting  to  these  arrangements, 
Master  Raymond  and  he  again  shook  hands,  and 
the  latter  was  put  ashore  in  one  of  the  Storm  King's 
boats.  It  was  a  little  curious  that  as  the  young 
man  reached  the  wharf,  ascending  a  few  wooden 
steps  from  the  boat,  whom  should  he  see  at  a  little 
distance,  walking  briskly  into  the  town,  but  one 
who  he  thought  was  Master  Thomas  Putnam. 
He  could  not  see  the  man's  face,  for  his  back  was 
toward  him;  but  he  felt  certain  that  it  was  the 
loving  and  obedient  husband  of  Mistress  Ann 
Putnam. 


CHAPTER  XXXVI. 
Sir  William  Phips  and  Lady  Mary. 

When  Mistress  Dulcibel  Burton,  in  company 
with  Master  Philip  English  and  his  wife,  arrived 
at  Boston  jail,  and  were  delivered  into  the  care  of 
Keeper  Arnold,  they  received  far  better  treatment 
than  they  had  expected. 

The  prison  itself  situated  in  a  portion  of  Boston 
which  is  now  considered  the  centre  of  fashion  and 
elegance,  was  one  of  those  cruel  Bridewells,  which 
were  a  befitting  illustration  of  what  some  suppose 
to  have  been  the  superior  manners  and  customs 
of  the  "good  old  times."  It  was  built  of  stone, 
its  walls  being  three  feet  thick.  Its  windows  were 
barred  with  iron  to  prevent  escape;  but  being 
without  glazed  sashes,  the  wind  and  rain  and  snow 
and  cold  of  winter  found  ready  access  to  the  cells 
within.  The  doors  were  covered  wTith  the  large 
heads  of  iron  spikes — the  cells  being  formed  by 
partitions  of  heavy  plank.  And  the  passage  ways 
of  the  prison  were  described  by  one  who  had  been 
confined  in  this  Boston  Bridewell,  as  being  "like 
the  dark  valley  of  the  shadow  of  death. " 

But  the  jailers  seem  to  have  been  more  humane 

252 


Sir  William  Phipsand  Lady  Mary.  253 

than  the  builders  of  the  prison;  and  those  await 
ing  trial,  especially,  were  frequently  allowed  rooms 
in  the  Keeper's  house — probably  always  paying 
well,  however,  for  the  privilege. 

Thus,  as  Captain  Tolley  had  said,  Captain 
Alden  was  confined  in  Keeper  Arnold's  house; 
and,  when  the  party  in  which  the  readers  of  this 
story  are  especially  interested,  arrived  late  at  night 
from  Salem,  they  were  taken  to  comparatively 
comfortable  apartments.  The  jailer  knew  that 
Master  Philip  English  was  a  very  wealthy  man; 
and,  as  for  Dulcibel,  Uncle  Robie  did  not  forget 
to  say  to  his  old  crony  Arnold,  among  other  favor 
able  things,  that  she  not  only  had  warm  friends, 
among  the  best  people  of  Salem,  but  that  in  her 
own  right,  she  possessed  a  very  pretty  little  for 
tune,  and  was  fully  able  to  pay  a  good  price  for 
any  favors  extended  to  her. 

The  magistrates  in  Salem  had  refused  to  take 
bail  for  Captain  Alden;  but  Master  English  was 
soon  able  to  make  an  arrangement,  by  which  he 
and  his  wife  were  allowed  the  freedom  of  the  town 
in  the  daytime;  it  being  understood  that  they 
should  return  regularly,  and  pass  the  night  in  the 
jail — or,  speaking  strictly,  in  the  Keeper's  house. 

For  things  in  Boston  were  different  from  what 


254  Dulcibel. 

they  were  at  Salem.  In  Salem  the  Puritan  spirit 
reigned  supreme  in  magistrates  and  in  ministers. 
But  in  Boston,  there  was,  as  we  have  said,  a  strong 
anti-Puritan  influence.  The  officials  sent  over 
from  England  were  generally  Episcopalians — the 
officers  of  the  English  men-of-war  frequently  in 
port,  also  were  generally  Episcopalians.  And 
though  the  present  Governor,  Sir  William  Phips, 
was  a  member  of  the  North  Church,  the  Rev 
erend  Cotton  Mather  taking  the  place  of  his 
father,  the  Reverend  Increase  Mather — and  though 
the  Governor  was  greatly  under  the  influence 
of  that  dogmatic  and  superstitious  divine — his 
wife,  Lady  Mary,  was  utterly  opposed  to  the 
whole  witchcraft  delusion  and  persecution. 

Sir  William  himself  had  quite  a  romantic  career. 
Starting  in  life  as  one  of  the  later  offspring  of  a 
father  and  mother  who  had  twenty-six  children, 
and  had  come  as  poor  emigrants  to  Maine,  he  was 
a  simple  and  ignorant  caretaker  of  sheep  until 
eighteen  years  of  age.  Then  he  became  a  ship 
carpenter;  and  at  the  age  of  twenty-two  went  to 
Boston,  working  at  his  trade  in  the  day  time,  and 
learning  how  to  read  and  write  at  night.  In 
Boston  he  had  the  good  fortune  to  capture  the 
heart  of  a  fair  widow  by  the  name  of  Mistress  Hull, 


Sir  William  Phips  and  Lady  Mary.  255 

who  was  a  daughter  of  Captain  Robert  Spencer. 
With  her  hand  he  received  a  fair  estate;  which  was 
the  beginning  of  a  large  fortune.  For,  it  enabled 
him  to  set  up  a  ship-yard  of  his  own;  and  by 
ventures  to  recover  lost  treasure,  sunk  in  ship 
wrecked  Spanish  galleons,  under  the  patronage  of 
the  Duke  of  Albemarle,  he  took  back  to  England 
at  one  time  the  large  amount  of  £300,000  in  gold, 
silver  and  precious  stones,  of  which  his  share  was 
£16,000 — and  in  addition  a  gold  cup,  valued  at 
£1,000  presented  to  his  wife  Mary.  And  such 
was  the  able  conduct  and  the  strict  integrity  he  had 
shown  in  the  face  of  many  difficulties  and  tempta 
tions,  that  King  James  knighted  him,  making  him 
Sir  William. 

Now,  through  his  own  deserts,  and  the  influence 
of  the  Reverend  Increase  Mather,  agent  in  Eng 
land  of  the  colony,  he  was  Governor-in-Chief  of  the 
Province  of  Massachusetts  Bay,  and  Captain 
General  (for  military  purposes)  of  all  New  Eng 
land.  And  he  was  living  in  that  "fair  brick  house 
in  Green  lane,"  which,  years  before,  he  had 
promised  his  wife  that  he  would  some  day  build 
for  her  to  live  in. 

Lady  Mary  was  a  very  sweet,  nice  woman;  but 
she  had  a  will  of  her  own,  and  never  could  be 


256  Dulcibel. 

persuaded  that  Sir  William's  rise  in  the  world  was 
not  owing  entirely  to  her  having  taken  pity  on  him, 
and  married  below  her  station.  And  really  there 
was  considerable  truth  in  this  view  of  the  matter, 
which  she  was  not  inclined  to  have  him  forget; 
and  Sir  William,  being  a  manly  and  generous, 
though  at  times  rather  choleric  gentleman,  gen 
erally  admitted  the  truth  of  her  assertion  that 
"she  had  made  him,"  rather  than  have  any  con 
troversy  with  her  about  it.  One  of  the  first  acts 
of  Sir  William  on  arriving  to  fill  his  position  as 
Governor,  was  to  order  chains  put  upon  all  the 
alleged  witches  in  the  prisons.  In  this  order 
might  be  very  plainly  traced  the  hand  of  his  pastor, 
the  Reverend  Cotton  Mather.  Lady  Mary  was 
outraged  by  such  a  command.  One  of  her  first 
visits  had  been  to  the  jail,  to  see  Captain  Alden, 
whom  she  knew  well.  Keeper  Arnold  had  shown 
her  the  order.  "Put  on  the  irons,"  said  Lady 
Mary.  The  jailer  did  so.  "Now  that  you  have 
obeyed  Sir  William,  take  them  off  again."  The 
jailer  smiled,  but  hesitated.  "Do  as  I  command 
you,  and  I  will  be  accountable  to  Sir  William." 
Very  gladly  did  Keeper  Arnold  obey — he  had  no 
faith  in  such  accusations,  brought  against  some 
of  the  best  behaved  people  he  ever  had  in  his  charge. 


Sir  William  Phips  and  Lady  Mary.  257 

"Now,  do  the  same  to  all  the  other  prisoners!" 
commanded  the  spirited  lady. 

"I  may  as  well  be  hung  for  a  cow  as  a  calf," 
said  the  jailer  laughing — and  he  went  gravely 
with  one  pair  of  fetters  all  through  the  cells,  com 
plying  literally  with  the  new  Governor's  or 
ders. 

Of  course  this  soon  got  to  the  ears  of  the  Rev. 
Cotton  Mather,  who  went  in  high  indignation  to 
the  Governor.  But  the  latter  seemed  to  be  very 
much  amused,  and  could  not  be  brought  to  mani 
fest  any  great  amount  of  indignation.  "You  know 
that  Lady  Mary  has  a  will  of  her  own,"  said  he  to 
his  pastor.  "If  you  choose  to  go  and  talk  to  her, 
I  will  take  you  to  her  boudoir;  but  I  am  not  anxious 
to  get  into  hot  water  for  the  sake  of  a  few  witches. " 
The  minister  thought  of  it  a  moment;  but  then 
concluded  wisely  not  to  go.  For,  as  Lady  Mary 
said  to  her  husband  afterwards,  "I  wish  that  you 
had  brought  him  to  me.  I  would  have  told  him 
just  what  I  think  of  him,  and  his  superstitious, 
hard-hearted  doings.  For  me,  I  never  mean  to 
enter  North  Church  more.  I  shall  go  hereafter 
to  South  Church;  Ma'sters  Willard  and  Moody 
have  some  Christian  charity  left  in  them." 

"I  think  you  are  too  hard  on  Master  Cot- 
17 


258  Dulcibel. 

ton  Mather,  my  dear,"  replied  Sir  William 
mildly. 

"Too  hard,  am  I  ?  What  would  you  say  if  those 
girl  imps  at  Salem  should  accuse  me  next!  Your 
own  loving  wife, — to  the  world. " 

"Oh,  my  dear  wife,  that  is  too  monstrous  even 
to  think  of!" 

"No  more  monstrous  than  their  accusation  of 
Mistress  English  of  Salem,  and  her  husband. 
You  know  them — what  do  you  think  of  that  ?" 

"Certainly,  that  is  very  singular  and  impossible; 
but  Master  Mather  says— 

"Master  Mather  ought  to  be  hung  himself," 
said  the  indignant  lady;  "for  he  has  helped  to 
murder  better  people  than  he  is,  a  great  deal. " 

"My  dear,  I  must  remonstrate— 

"And  there  is  Captain  Alden — he  is  a  witch, 
too,  it  seems!"  And  Lady  Mary  laughed  scorn 
fully.  "Why  not  you  too?  You  are  no  better 
a  man  than  Captain  Alden." 

"Oh,  the  Captain  shall  not  be  hurt." 

"It  will  not  be  through  any  mercy  of  his  judges 
then.  But,  answer  my  question:  what  will  you 
do,  if  they  dare  to  accuse  me  ?  Answer  me  that!" 

"You  certainly  are  not  serious,  Lady  Mary?" 

"I  am  perfectly  serious.     I  have  heard  already 


Sir  William  Phips  and  Lady  Mary.  259 

a  whisper  from  Salem  that  they  are  thinking  of  it. 
They  even  have  wished  me  warned  against  the 
consequences  of  my  highhanded  proceedings. 
Now  if  they  cry  out  against  me,  what  will  you 
do?" 

We  have  said  that  Sir  William  was  naturally 
choleric — though  he  always  put  a  strong  constraint 
upon  himself  when  talking  with  his  wife,  whom  he 
really  loved;  but  now  he  started  to  his  feet. 

"  If  they  dare  to  breathe  a  whisper  against  you, 
my  wife,  Lady  Mary,  I  will  blow  the  whole  con 
cern  to  perdition!  Confound  it,  Madam,  there 
are  limits  to  everything!" 

She  went  up  to  him  and  put  her  arm  around  his 
neck  and  kissed  him.  "  I  thought  that  before  they 
touched  me,  they  would  have  to  chain  the  lion 
that  lies  at  my  door,"  she  said  proudly  and  affec 
tionately;  for,  notwithstanding  these  little  tiffs, 
she  really  was  fond  of  her  husband,  and  proud 
of  his  romantic  career. 

But — coming  back  to  our  sheep — Dulcibel  not 
having  the  same  amount  of  wealth  and  influence 
behind  her  as  Master  English  had,  was  very  well 
contented  at  being  allowed  a  room  in  Keeper 
Arnold's  house;  and  was  on  the  whole  getting  along 
very  comfortably.  Master  Raymond  had  seen 


260  Dulcibel. 

her  soon  after  his  arrival,  but  it  was  in  company 
with  the  jailer;  the  principal  result  being  that  he 
had  secretly  passed  her  a  letter,  and  had  assured 
himself  that  she  was  not  in  a  suffering  condition. 

But  things  of  late  were  looking  brighter,  for 
Master  Raymond  had  made  the  acquaintance  of 
Lady  Mary  through  a  friend  to  whom  he  had  let 
ters  from  England,  and  Lady  Mary  had  begun 
to  take  an  interest  in  Dulcibel,  whom  she  had  seen 
on  one  of  her  visits  to  Mistress  English. 

Through  Lady  Mary,  in  some  way,  Dulcibel 
hoped  to  escape  from  the  prison;  trusting  that, 
if  once  at  large,  Master  Raymond  would  be  able 
to  provide  for  her  safety.  But  there  was  one  great 
difficulty.  She,  with  the  others,  had  given  her 
word  to  the  Keeper  not  to  escape,  as  the  price  of 
her  present  exemption  from  confinement  in  an 
exposed,  unhealthy  cell.  How  this  promise  was 
to  be  managed,  neither  of  them  had  been  able  to 
think  of.  Keeper  Arnold  might  be  approached; 
but  Dulcibel  feared  not — at  least  under  present 
circumstances.  If  brought  to  trial  and  convicted 
then  to  save  her  life,  Dulcibel  thought  he  might 
be  persuaded  to  aid  her.  As  to  breaking  her  word 
to  the  Keeper,  that  never  entered  the  mind  of  the 
truthful  maiden,  or  of  her  lover.  Death  even  was 


Sir  William  Phipsand  Lady  Mary.  261 

more  endurable  than  the  thought  of  dishonor — 
if  they  had  thought  of  the  matter  at  all.  But  as  I 
have  said,  they  never  even  thought  of  a  such  thing. 
And  therefore  how  to  manage  the  affair  was  a  very 
perplexing  question. 


CHAPTER  XXXVII. 
The    First    Rattle    of   the   Rattlesnake. 

One  day  about  this  time  Master  Raymond  was 
sitting  in  the  porch  of  the  Red  Lion,  thinking  over 
a  sight  he  had  just  seen; — -a  man  had  passed  by 
wearing  on  the  back  of  his  drab  coat  a  capital  I 
two  inches  long,  cut  out  of  black  cloth,  and  sewed 
upon  it.  On  inquiry  he  found  the  man  had 
married  his  deceased  wife's  sis'ter;  and  both  he 
and  the  woman  had  been  first  whipped,  and  then 
condemned  to  wear  this  letter  for  the  rest  of  their 
lives,  according  to  the  law  of  the  colony.* 

Master  Raymond  was  puzzling  over  the  matter 
not  being  able  to  make  out  that  any  real  offence 
had  been  committed,  when  who  should  walk  up 
to  the  porch  but  Master  Joseph  Putnam.  After 
a  hearty  hand-shaking  between  the  two,  they 
retired  to  Master  Raymond's  apartments. 

"Well,  how  are  things  getting  along  at  Salem  ?" 

"Oh,   about   as   usual!" 

"Any  more  accusations?" 

"Plenty  of  them,  people  are  beginning  to  find 
out  that  the  best  way  to  protect  themselves  is 

*See  Drake's  History  of  Boston 
262 


First  Rattle  of  the  Rattlesnake.    263 

to  sham   being   'afflicted,'    and  accuse  somebody 
else." 

"I  saw  that  a  good  while  ago." 

"And  when  a  girl  or  a  woman  is  accused,  her 
relatives  and  her  friends  gather  around  her,  and 
implore  her  to  confess,  to  save  her  life.  For  they 
have  found  that  not  one  person  who  has  been 
accused  of  being  a  witch,  and  has  admitted  the 
fact,  has  been  convicted. 

"And  yet  it  would  seem  that  a  confession  of 
witchcraft  ought  to  be  a  better  proof  of  it,  than  the 
mere  assertion  of  possible  enemies,"  responded 
Master  Raymond. 

"Of  course — if  there  was  any  show  of  reason  or 
fairness  in  the  prosecutions,  from  first  to  last; 
but  as  it  is  all  sheer  malice  and  wickedness,  on  the 
part  of  the  accusers,  from  the  beginning  to  the  end, 
it  would  be  vain  to  expect  any  reasonableness  or 
fairness  from  them." 

"We  must  admit,  however,  that  there  is  some 
delusion  in  it.  It  would  be  too  uncharitable  to 
believe  otherwise,"  said  Master  Raymond  thought 
fully. 

"There  may  have  been  at  the  very  first — on  the 
part  of  the  children/'  replied  Master  Putnam. 
"They  might  have  supposed  thatTituba  and  friend- 


264  Dulcibel. 

less  Sarah  Good  tormented  them — but  since  then, 
there  has  not  been  more  than  one  part  of  delusion 
to  twenty  parts  of  wickedness.  Why,  can  any 
sane  man  suppose  that  she-wolf  sister-in-law  of 
mine  does  not  know  she  is  lying,  when  she  brings 
such  horrible  charges  against  the  best  men  and 
women  in  Salem  ?" 

"No,  I  give  up  Mistress  Ann,  she  is  possessed 
by  a  lying  devil,"  admitted  Master  Raymond. 

"It  is  well  she  does  not  hear  that  speech,"  said 
Joseph  Putnam. 

"Why?" 

"Because,  up  to  this  time,  you  seem  to  have 
managed  to  soften  her  heart  a  little." 

"I  have  tried  to.  I  have  thought  myself 
justified  in  playing  a  part — as  King  David  once 
did  you  know." 

"It  is  that  which  brings  me  here.  I  met  her  at 
the  house  of  a  friend  whom  I  called  to  see  on  some 
business  a  day  or  two  ago, " 

"Ah!" 

"She  said  to  me,  in  that  soft  purring  voice  of 
hers,  'Brother  Joseph,  I  hear  that  your  good 
friend  Master  Raymond  is  still  in  Boston.'  I 
answered  that  I  believed  he  was.  'When  he 
took  leave  of  me/  she  continued,  '  I  advised  him 


First  Rattle  of  the  Rattlesnake.   265 

not  to  stay  long  in  that  town — as  it  was  often  a  bad 
climate  for  strangers.  I  am  sorry  he  does  not  take 
wise  counsel.'  Then  she  passed  on,  and  out  of  the 
house.  Have  you  any  idea  what  she  meant?" 

Master  Raymond  studied  a  moment  over  it  in 
silence.  Then  he  said: — "It  is  the  first  warning 
of  the  rattlesnake,  I  suppose.  How  many  do 
they  usually  give  before  they  spring  ?" 

"Three,  the  saying  goes.  But  I  guess  this 
rattlesnake  cannot  be  trusted  to  give  more  than 
one." 

"I  was  convinced  I  saw  your  brother  Thomas 
as  I  came  ashore  from  the  Storm  King  the  other 
day." 

"Ah,  that  explains  it  then.  She  understands  it 
all  then.  She  understands  it  all  now  just  as  well 
as  if  you  had  told  her." 

"  But  why  should  she  pursue  so  fiendishly  an 
innocent  girl  like  Dulcibel,  who  is  not  conscious 
of  ever  having  offended  her?" 

"Why  do  tigers  slay,  and  scorpions  sting? 
Because  it  is  their  nature,  I  suppose,"  replied 
Master  Putnam  philosophically.  "  Because,  Mis 
tress  Dulcibel  openly  ridiculed  and  denounced  her 
and  the  whole  witchcraft  business.  And  you  will 
note  that  there  has  not  been  a  single  instance  of 


266  Dulcibel. 

this  being  done,  that  the  circle  of  accusers  have 
not  seemed  maddened  to  frenzy. " 

"Yes, — there  has  been  one  case — your  own." 

"That  is  true — because  I  am  Thomas  Putnam's 
brother.  And,  dupe  and  tool  as  he  is  of  that  she- 
wolf,  and  though  there  is  no  great  amount  of  love 
lost  between  us — still  I  am  his  brother!  And  that 
protects  me.  Besides  they  know  that  it  is  as  much 
any  two  men's  lives  are  worth  to  attempt  to  arrest 
me." 

"And  then  you  think  there  is  no  special  enmity 
against  Dulcibel?" 

"I  have  not  said  so.  Jethro  Sands  hates  her 
because  she  refused  him;  Leah  Herrick  wants  her 
driven  away,  because  she  herself  wants  to  marry 
Jethro,  and  fears  Jethro  might  after  all,  succeed  in 
getting  Dulcibel;  and  Sister  Ann  hates  her, 
because — 

"Well,  because  what  ?" 

"Oh,  it  seems  too  egotistical  to  say  it — because 
she  knows  she  is  one  of  my  dear  friends." 

"She  must  dislike  you  very  much  then  ?" 

"She  does." 

"Why?" 

"Oh,  there  is  no  good  reason.  At  the  first,  she 
was  inclined  to  like  me — but  I  always  knew  she 


First  Rattle  of  the  Rattlesnake.   267 

was  a  cold-blooded  snake  and  she-wolf,  and  I 
would  have  nothing  to  do  with  her.  Then  when 
brother  Thomas  began  to  sink  his  manhood  and 
become  the  mere  dupe  and  tool  of  a  scheming 
woman,  I  remonstrated  with  him,  I  think, 
friend  Raymond,  that  I  am  as  chivalrous  as  any 
man  ought  to  be.  I  admire  a  woman  in  her  true 
place  as  much  as  any  man — and  would  fight  and 
die  for  her.  But  for  these  men  that  forget  their 
manhood,  these  Marc  Antonies  who  yield  up  their 
sound  reason  and  their  manly  strength  to  the  wiles 
and  tears  and  charms  of  selfish  and  ambitious 
Cleopatras,  I  have  nothing  but  contempt.  There 
are  plenty  of  them  around  in  all  ages  of  the  world, 
and  they  generally  glory  in  their  shame.  Of  course 
brother  Thomas  did  not  enjoy  very  much  my  mean 
opinion  of  his  conduct — and  as  for  sister  Ann,  she 
has  never  forgiven  me,  and  never  will." 

"And  so  you  think  she  hates  Dulcibel,  mainly 
because  you  love  her?" 

"That  is  about  the  shape  of  it/'  said  Master 
Putnam  drily.  "That  Dulcibel  feels  for  me  the 
affection  of  a  sister,  only  intensifies  my  sister-in- 
law's  aversion  to  her.  But  then,  you  see,  that 
merely  on  the  general  principle  of  denouncing  all 
who  set  themselves  in  opposition  to  the  so-called 


268  Dulcibel. 

afflicted  circle,  Dulcibel  would  be  accused  of  witch 
craft." 

"Well,  for  my  part,  I  think  the  whole  affair  can 
only  be  accounted  for  as  being  a  piece  of  what  we 
men  of  the  world,  who  do  not  belong  to  any  church, 
call  devilishness,"  said  Master  Raymond  hotly. 

"You  see,"  responded  Master  Putnam,  "that 
you  men  of  the  world  have  to  come  to  the  same 
conclusion  that  we  church  members  do.  You 
impute  it  to  'devilishness'  and  we  to  being 
'possessed  by  the  devil.'  It  is  about  the  same 
thing.  And  now  give  me  an  idea  of  your  latest 
plans.  Perhaps  I  can  forward  them  in  some  way, 
either  here  or  at  Salem.' 


CHAPTER  XXXVIII. 
Conflicting  Currents  in  Boston. 

All  this  time  the  under-current  of  opposition  to 
these  criminal  proceedings  against  the  alleged 
witches,  was  growing  stronger,  at  Boston.  The 
Reverend  Samuel  Willard  and  Joshua  Moody 
both  ministers  of  undoubted  orthodoxy  from  the 
Puritan  stand-point,  did  not  scruple  to  visit  the 
accused  in  the  keeping  of  jailer  Arnold,  and  sym 
pathize  openly  with  them.  Captain  Alden  and 
Master  Philip  English  and  his  wife  especially, 
were  persons  of  too  great  wealth  and  reputation 
not  to  have  many  sympathizing  friends. 

On  the  other  hand,  the  great  majority  of  the 
Puritans,  under  the  lead  of  the  Reverend  Cotton 
Mather,  and  the  two  Salem  ministers,  Parris  and 
Noyes  were  determined  that  the  prosecution  should 
go  on,  until  the  witches,  those  children  of  the  Evil 
One,  were  thoroughly  cast  out;  even  if  half  of 
their  congregations  should  have  to  be  hung  by  the 
other  half. 

At  a  recent  trial  in  Salein,  one  of  the  "afflicted" 
had  even  gone  so  far  as  to  cry  out  against  the  Rev. 

Master  Willard.     But  the  Court,  it  seemed,  was 

269 


270  Dulcibel. 

not  quite  ready  for  that;  for  the  girl  was  sent  out 
of  court,  being  told  that  she  must  have  mistaken 
the  person.  When  this  was  reported  to  Master 
Willard,  it  by  no  means  tended  to  lessen  his 
growing  belief  that  the  prosecutions  were  in 
spired  by  evil  spirits. 

Of  course  in  this  condition  of  things,  the  posi 
tion  of  the  Governor,  Sir  William  Phips,  became  a 
matter  of  the  first  importance.  As  he  owed  his 
office  mainly  to  the  influence  of  the  Rev.  Increase 
Mather,  and  sat  under  the  weekly  ministrations  of 
his  learned  son,  Cotton  Mather,  the  witch  prose 
cutors  had  a  very  great  hold  upon  him.  With  a 
good  natural  intellect,  Sir  William  had  received  a 
very  scanty  education;  and  was  therefore  much 
impressed  by  the  prodigious  attainments  of  such 
men  as  the  two  Mathers.  To  differ  with  them 
on  a  theological  matter  seemed  to  him  rather 
presumptuous.  If  they  did  not  know  what  was 
sound  in  theology,  and  right  in  practise;  why 
was  there  any  use  in  having  ministers  at  all,  or 
who  could  be  expected  to  be  certain  of  anything  r 

Then  if  Sir  William  turned  to  the  law,  he  was 
met  by  an  almost  unanimous  array  of  lawyers  and 
judges  who  endorsed  the  witchcraft  prosecution. 
Chief-Justice  Stoughton,  honest  and  learned 


Conflicting  Currents  in  Boston.    271 

Judge  Sewall — and  nearly  all  the  rest  of  the 
judiciary — were  sure  of  the  truth  in  this  matter. 
Not  one  magistrate  could  be  found  in  the  whole 
province,  to  decide  as  a  sensible  English  judge  is 
reported  by  tradition  to  have  done,  in  the  case  of 
an  old  woman  who  at  last  acknowledged  in  the 
feebleness  of  her  confused  intellect  that  she  was  a 
witch,  and  in  the  habit  of  riding  about  on  a  broom 
stick:  "Well,  as  I  know  of  no  law  that  forbids 
old  women  riding  about  on  broomsticks,  if  they 
fancy  that  mode  of  conveyance,  you  are  dis 
charged."  But  there  was  not  one  magistrate  at 
that  time,  wise  or  learned  enough  to  make  such  a 
sensible  decision  in  the  whole  of  New  England. 

Thus  with  the  almost  unanimous  bar,  and  the 
great  preponderance  of  the  clergy,  advising  him 
to  pursue  a  certain  course,  Sir  William  undoubted 
ly  would  have  followed  it,  had  he  not  been  a  man 
whose  sympathies  naturally  were  with  sea-captains, 
military  officers,  and  other  men-of-the-world; 
and,  moreover,  if  he  had  not  a  wife,  herself  the 
daughter  of  a  sea-captain,  who  was  an  utter  dis 
believer  in  her  accused  friends  being  witches,  and 
who  had  moreover  a  very  strong  will  of  her  own. 

Of  course  if  the  Governor  should  come  to  Lady 
Mary's  opinion,  the  prosecution  might  as  well  be 


272  Dulcibel. 

abandoned — for,  with  a  stroke  of  his  pen,  he  could 
remit  the  sentences  of  all  the  convicted  persons. 
Left  to  himself  and  Lady  Mary,  he  doubtless 
would  have  done  this;  but  he  wished  to  continue 
in  his  office,  and  to  be  a  successful  Governor;  and 
he  knew  that  to  array  himself  against  the  prosecu 
tion  and  punishment  of  the  alleged  witches  was  to 
displease  the  great  majority  of  the  people  of  the 
province;  including,  as  I  have  shown,  the  most 
influential  persons.  In  fact,  it  was  simply  to 
retire  from  his  government  in  disgrace. 

All  this  the  Reverend  Cotton  Mather  represented 
to  Sir  William,  with  much  else  of  a  less  worldly, 
but  no  doubt  still  more  effective  character,  based 
upon  various  passages  of  the  old  Testament  rather 
than  upon  anything  corresponding  to  them  in  the 
New. 

And  so  the  prosecutions  and  convictions  went 
on;  but  the  further  executions  waited  upon  the 
Governor's  decision. 


CHAPTER  XXXIX. 
The    Rattlesnake    Makes   a  Spring. 

It  was  a  Thursday  afternoon,  and  the  "  afflicted 
circle"  was  having  one  of  its  informal  meetings 
at  the  house  of  Mistress  Ann  Putnam.  At  these 
meetings  the  latest  developments  were  talked  over; 
and  all  the  scandal  of  the  neighborhood,  and  even 
of  Boston  and  other  towns,  gathered  and  discussed. 
Thus  in  the  examination  of  Captain  Alden  in 
addition  to  the  material  charges  of  witchcraft 
against  him,  which  I  have  noted,  were  entirely 
irrelevant  slanders  of  the  grossest  kind  against  his 
moral  character  which  the  "afflicted  girls"  must 
have  gathered  from  very  low  and  vulgar  sources. 

The  only  man  present  on  this  occasion  was 
Jethro  Sands;  and  the  girls,  especially  Leah 
Herrick,  could  not  but  wonder  who  now  was  to  be 
"cried  out  against,"  that  Jethro  was  brought  into 
their  counsels. 

It  is  a  curious  natural  instinct  which  leads  every 
faculty — even  the  basest — to  crave  more  food  in 
proportion  to  the  extent  in  which  it  has  been 
already  gratified.  In  the  first  place,  the  "  afflicted  " 
girls  no  doubt  had  their  little  spites,  revenges,  and 
18  273 


274  Dulcibel. 

jealousies  to  indulge,  but  afterwards  they  seemed 
to  "cry  out"  against  those  of  whom  they  hardly 
knew  anything,  either  to  oblige  another  of  the 
party,  or  to  punish  for  an  expressed  disbelief  in 
their  sincerity,  or  even  out  of  the  mere  wantonness 
of  power  to  do  evil. 

Mistress  Ann  Putnam  opened  the  serious  busi 
ness  of  the  afternoon,  after  an  hour  or  so  had  been 
spent  in  gossip  and  tale-bearing,  by  an  account  of 
some  recent  troubles  of  hers. 

"A  few  nights  ago,"  said  she,  "I  awakened  in 
the  middle  of  the  night  with  choking  and  strang 
ling.  I  knew  at  once  that  a  new  'evil  hand'  was 
upon  me;  for  the  torment  was  different  from  any 
I  had  ever  experienced.  I  thought  the  hand  that 
grasped  me  around  the  throat  would  have  killed 
me — and  there  was  a  heavy  weight  upon  rny 
breast,  so  that  I  could  hardly  breathe.  I  clutched 
at  the  thing  that  pressed  upon  my  breast,  and  it 
felt  hard  and  bony  like  a  horse's  hoof — and  it  was 
a  horse.  By  the  faint  moonlight  I  saw  it  was  the 
wild  black  *  familiar*  that  belongs  to  the  snake- 
marked  witch,  Dulcibel  Burton.  But  the  hand 
that  grasped  my  throat  was  the  strong  hand  of  a 
man.  I  caught  a  sight  of  his  face.  I  knew  it 
well.  But  I  pity  him  so  much  that  I  hesitate  to 


The  Rattlesnake  Makes  a  Spring.   275 

reveal  it.  I  feel  as  if  I  would  almost  rather 
suffer  myself,  than  accuse  so  fine  a  young  man 
as  he  seemed  to  be  of  such  wicked  conduct." 

"But  it  appears  to  me  that  it  is  your  duty  to 
expose  him,  Mistress  Putnam,"  said  Jethro  Sands. 
"  I  know  the  young  man  whose  spectre  you  saw, 
for  he  and  that  black  witch  of  a  mare  seem  to  be 
making  their  nightly  rounds  together.  They 
'afflicted'  me  the  other  night  the  same  way.  I 
flung  them  off;  and  I  asked  him  what  he  meant  by 
acting  in  that  way  ?  And  he  said  he  was  a  lover 
of  the  witch  Dulcibel;  who  was  one  of  the  queens 
of  Hell— I  might  know  that  by  the  snake-mark  on 
her  bosom.  And  she  had  told  him  that  he  must 
afflict  all  those  who  had  testified  against  her;  and 
she  would  lend  him  her  'familiar,'  the  black  mare, 
to  help  him  do  it." 

By  this  time,  even  the  dullest  of  the  girls  of 
course  saw  very  plainly  who  was  being  aimed  at; 
but  Mistress  Putnam  added,  "upon  learning 
that  Master  Jethro  had  also  been  afflicted  by  this 
person,  I  had  very  little  doubt  that  I  should  find 
the  guilty  young  man  had  been  doing  the  same  to 
all  of  you;  for  we  have  seen  heretofore  that  when 
these  witches  attack  one  of  us,  they  attack  all,  hat 
ing  all  for  the  same  reason,  that  we  expose  and 


276  Dulcibel. 

denounce  them.  Ijnay  add  that  I  have  also  heard 
that  the  young  man  in  question  is  now  in  Boston 
doing;  all  he  can  in  aid  of  the  snake-witch  Dulcibel 

o 

Burton;  and  representing  all  of  us  to  Lady  Mary 
Phips  and  other  influential  persons,  as  being 
untruthful  and  malicious  accusers  of  innocent 
people."  Here  she  turned  to  one  who  had  always 
been  her  right-hand  as  it  were,  and  said: — "I 
suppose  you  have  been  tormented  in  the  same  way, 
dear  Abigail?" 

Ann  Putnam,  her  daughter,  however,  that 
precocious  and  unmanageable  girl  of  twelve,  here 
broke  in :  "I  think  my  mother  is  entirely  mistaken. 
I  was  treated  just  the  same  way  about  a  week  ago; 
but  it  was  not  the  spectre  of  Master  Raymond  at 
all — it  was  the  spectre  of  another  man  whom  I 
never  saw  before.  It  was  not  at  all  like  Master 
Raymond;  and  I,  for  one,  will  not  join  in  crying 
out  against  him." 

In  those  old  times,  parents  were  treated  with  a 
much  greater  show,  at  least,  of  respect  and  venera 
tion  than  they  are  at  present;  and  therefore  Mis 
tress  Putnam  was  greatly  shocked  at  her  daughter's 
language;  but  her  daughter  was  well  known  to  all 
present  as  an  exceptional  child,  being  very  forward 
and  self-willed,  and  therefore  her  mother  simply 


The  Rattlesnake  Makes  a  Spring.  277 

said,  "I  had  not  expected  such  unkind  behavior 
from  you,  Ann." 

"Master  Raymond,  has  been  very  kind  to  all 
of  us,  you  know — has  given  us  pretty  things,  and 
has  promised  to  send  us  all  presents  when  he  gets 
back  from  England;  and  I  have  heard  you  and 
father  both  say,  that  the  Putnams  always  stand  up 
for  their  friends." 

This  reference  to  the  promised  presents  from 
England,  evidently  told  all  around  the  circle. 
They  had  nothing  to  gain  by  "crying  out"  against 
Master  Raymond,  they  had  something  to  gain  by 
not  doing  it;  besides,  he  was  a,  very  handsome 
young  man,  who  had  tried  to  make  himself  agree 
able  to  almost  all  of  them  as  he  had  opportunity. 
And  though  Dulcibel's  beauty  went  for  nothing  in 
their  eyes,  a  young  man's  good  looks  and  gallant 
bearing  were  something  entirely  different. 

And  so  Abigail  Williams,  and  Mary  Walcot, 
and  Mercy  Lewis,  and  Leah  Herrick,  and  Sarah 
Churchill,  and  Elizabeth  Hubbard  all  had  the 
same  tale  to  tell  with  suitable  variations,  as  young 
Ann  Putnam  had.  They  were  certain  that  the 
face  of  the  "spectre"  was  not  the  face  of  Master 
Raymond;  but  of  some  person  they  had  never 
before  seen.  Mercy  Lewis  and  Sarah  Churchill, 


278  Dulcibel. 

in  fact,  were  inclined  to  think  it  was  the  face  of 
Satan  himself;  and  they  all  wondered  very  much 
that  Mistress  Putnam  could  have  mistaken  such 
an  old  and  ugly  face,  for  that  of  the  comely  young 
Englishman. 

As  for  Leah  Herrick,  she  did  not  care  in  her 
secret  heart  if  Master  Raymond  were  in  love  with 
Dulcibel — so  that  he  would  only  take  her  out  of  the 
country,  where  there  was  no  danger  of  Jethro's 
seeing  her  any  more.  All  her  belief  that  Dulcibel 
was  a  witch  was  based  upon  jealousy,  and  now 
that  it  was  utterly  improbable  that  Jethro  would 
ever  turn  his  thoughts  in  that  direction  again,  she 
had  no  hard  feeling  towards  her;  while,  as  she 
also  had  reason  to  expect  a  handsome  present 
from  England,  she  did  not  share  in  the  least 
Jethro's  bitterness  against  the  young  Englishman. 

But  although  Mistress  Putnam  was  thus  utterly 
foiled  in  her  effort  to  enlist  the  "afflicted  circle" 
in  her  support,  she  was  not  the  woman  to  give  up 
her  settled  purpose  on  that  account.  She  knew 
well  that  she  was  a  host  in  herself,  so  far  as  the 
magistrates  were  concerned.  And,  having  Jethro 
Sands  to  join  her,  it  made  up  the  two  witnesses 
that  were  absolutely  necessary  by  the  law  of  Mas 
sachusetts  as  of  Moses.  The  "afflicted  circle" 


The  Rattlesnake  Makes  a  Spring.  279 

might  not  aid  her,  but  it  was  not  likely  that  they 
would  openly  revolt,  and  take  part  against  her  in 
public;  and  so  she  went  the  very  next  morning 
in  company  with  that  obedient  tool,  her  husband 
and  Jethro  Sands,  to  the  office  of  Squire  Hathorne, 
and  got  him  to  issue  a  warrant  for  the  arrest  of 
Master  Ellis  Raymond,  on  the  usual  charge  of 
practicing  witchcraft. 


CHAPTER  XL. 
An  Interview  with  Lady  Mary. 

Master  Raymond,  having  obtained  an  intro 
duction  to  the  Governor's  wife,  Lady  Mary,  lost 
no  time  in  endeavoring  to  "cultivate  the  ameni 
ties  of  life,"  so  far  as  that  very  influential  person 
was  concerned.  He  had  paid  the  most  deferential 
court  to  her  on  several  occasions  where  he  had 
been  able  to  meet  her  socially;  and  had  impressed 
the  Governor's  lady  very  favorably,  as  being  an 
unusually  handsome,  well-bred  and  highly  cul 
tivated  young  man.  A  comely  and  high-spirited 
lady  of  forty,  she  was  better  pleased  to  be  the 
recipient  of  the  courteous  and  deferential  attentions 
of  a  young  Englishman  of  good  connections  like 
Master  Raymond,  than  even  to  listen  to  the  wise 
and  weighty  counsel  of  so  learned  a  man  as  Mas 
ter  Cotton  Mather. 

Only  in  the  last  minutes  of  their  last  meeting 
however,  when  handing  her  ladyship  to  her  car 
riage,  did  Master  Raymond  feel  at  liberty  to  ask 
her  if  he  could  have  a  short  private  interview  with 
her  the  next  morning.  She  looked  a  little  sur 
prised,  and  then  said, 

280 


An  Interview  with  Lady  Mary.   281 

"Of  course,   Master  Raymond." 

"At  what  hour  will  it  suit  your  ladyship  ?" 

"At  twelve,  precisely,  I  have  an  engagement  at 
one;"  and  the  carriage  drove  off. 

A  minute  or  two  before  twelve,  Master  Raymond 
was  at  the  Governor's  house  in  Green  lane;  and 
was  duly  admitted,  as  one  expected,  and  shown 
into  her  ladyship's  boudoir. 

"Now,  come  right  to  the  point,  Master  Ray 
mond;  and  tell  me  what  I  can  do  for  you,"  said 
her  ladyship  smiling.  "If  I  can  help  you,  I  will; 
if  I  cannot,  or  must  not,  I  shall  say  so  at  once — 
and  you  must  continue  to  be  just  as  good  a  friend 
to  me  as  ever." 

"I  promise  that  to  your  ladyship,"  replied  the 
young  man  earnestly.  He  really  liked  and  ad 
mired  Lady  Mary  very  much. 

"  Is  it  love,  or  money  ? — young  men  always  want 
one  of  these." 

"Your  ladyship  is  as  quick-witted  in  this  as  in 
everything  else." 

"Well,  which  is  it?" 

"Love." 

"Ah— who?" 

"Mistress  Dulcibel  Burton." 

"What! — not  the  girl  with  the  snake-mark?" 


282  Dulcibel. 

Raymond  bowed  his  head  very  low  in  answer 

Lady  Mary  laughed.  "She  is  a  witch  then,  it 
seems;  for  she  has  bewitched  you." 

"We  were  betrothed  to  each  other  only  a  few 
days  before  that  absurd  and  lying  charge  was 
made  against  her." 

"And  her  horse — her  black  mare — that  upset 
the  Reverend  Master  Parris  into  the  duck  pond; 
and  then  went  up  into  the  clouds;  and,  as  Master 
Cotton  Mather  solemnly  assured  me,  has  never 
been  seen  or  heard  of  since — what  of  it — where 
is  it,  really  ? " 

"In  an  out-of-the-way  place,  up  in  Master 
Joseph  Putnam's  woods,"  replied  the  young  man 
smiling. 

"And  you  are  certain  of  it?" 

"As  certain  as  riding  the  mare  for  about  ten 
miles  will  warrant." 

"Master  Mather  assured  me  that  no  man— 
except  perhaps  Satan  or  one  of  his  imps — -could 
ride  her." 

"Then  I  must  be  Satan  or  one  of  his  imps,  I 
suppose." 

"How    did    you    manage    it?" 

"I  put  a  side-saddle  on  the  beast;  and  a 
woman's  skirt  on  myself." 


An  Interview  with  Lady  Mary.   283 

The  lady  laughed  outright.  "Oh,  that  is  too 
good!  It  reminds  me  of  what  Sir  William  often 
says,  'Anything  can  be  done,  if  you  know  how  to 
do  it!'  I  must  tell  it  to  him  he  will  enjoy  it  so 
much.  And  it  will  be  a  good  thing  to  plague 
Master  Mather  with." 

"Please  do  not  tell  anyone  just  now,"  protested 
the  young  man  earnestly.  "It  may  bring  my 
good  friend,  Joseph  Putnam,  into  trouble.  And 
it  would  only  make  them  all  angrier  than  they  are 
with  Dulcibel." 

"Dulcibel — that  is  a  strange  name.  It  is 
Italian — is  it  not." 

"  I  judge  so.  It  is  a  family  name.  I  suppose 
there  is  Italian  blood  in  the  family.  At  least 
Mistress  Dulcibel  looks  it." 

"She  does.  She  is  very  beautiful — of  a  kind  of 
strange,  fascinating  beauty.  I  do  not  wonder  she 
bewitched  you.  Was  that  serpent  mark  too  from 
Italy?" 

"I    think    it   very    likely." 

"Perhaps  she  is  descended  from  Cleopatra — 
and  that  is  the  mark  left  by  the  serpent  on  the 
famous  queen's  breast." 

"I  think  it  exceedingly  probable,"  said  Master 
Raymond.  My  readers  will  have  observed  before 


284  Dulcibel. 

this,  that  he  was  an  exceedingly  polite  and  politic 
young  man. 

"Well,  and  so  you  want  me  to  get  Mistress 
Dulcibel,  this  witch  descendant  of  that  famous  old 
witch,  Cleopatra,  out  of  prison  ?" 

"I  hoped  that,  from  the  well-known  kindness 
of  heart  of  your  ladyship,  you  would  be  able  to  do 
something  for  us." 

"You  see  the  difficulty  is  simply  here.  I  know 
that  all  these  charges  of  witchcraft  against  such 
good,  nice  people  as  Captain  Alden,  Master  and 
Mistress  English,  your  betrothed  Dulcibel,  and 
a  hundred  others,  are  mere  bigotry  and  super 
stition  at  the  best,  and  sheer  spite  and  malicious 
ness  at  the  wrorst — but  what  can  I  do  ?  Sir  Wil 
liam  owes  his  position  to  the  Reverend  Increase 
Mather — and,  besides,  not  being  a  greatly  learned 
man  himself,  is  more  impressed  than  he  ought  to 
be  by  the  learning  of  the  ministers  and  the  lawyers. 
I  tell  him  that  a  learned  fool  is  the  greatest  fool 
alive;  but  still  he  is  much  puzzled.  If  he  does 
not  conform  to  the  wishes  of  the  ministers  and  the 
judges,  who  are  able  to  lead  the  great  majority 
of  the  people  in  any  direction  they  choose,  he  will 
lose  his  position  as  Governor.  Now,  while  this 
is  not  so  much  in  itself,  it  will  be  a  bar  to  his  future 


An  Interview  with  Lady  Mary.   285 

advancement — -for  preferment  does  not  often  seek 
the  men  who  fail,  even  when  they  fail  from  having 
superior  wisdom  and  nobleness  to  the  multitude." 

It  was  evident  that  Sir  William  and  Lady  Mary 
had  talked  over  this  witchcraft  matter,  and  its 
bearing  upon  his  position,  a  good  many  times. 
And  Master  Raymond  saw  very  clearly  the  diffi 
culties  of  the  case. 

"And  still,  if  the  robe  of  the  Governor  can  only 
continue  to  be  worn  by  dyeing  it  with  innocent 
blood,  I  think  that  a  man  of  the  natural  greatness 
and  nobility  of  Sir  William,  would  not  hesitate 
as  to  his  decision." 

"  But  a  new  Governor  in  his  place  might  do 
worse." 

"Yes,  he  might  easily  do  that." 

"When  it  comes  to  taking  more  lives  by  his 
order,  then  he  will  decide  upon  his  course.  So 
far  he  is  temporizing,"  said  the  lady. 

"And  Dulcibel?" 

"She  is  not  suffering,"  was  the  reply.  "Oh, 
if  I  only  could  say  the  same  of  the  poor  old  women, 
and  poor  young  women,  now  lying  in  those  cold 
and  loathsome  cells — innocent  of  any  crime 
whatever  either  against  God  or  against  man — 
I  should  not  feel  it  all  here  so  heavily,"  and  Lady 


286  Dulcibel. 

Mary  pressed  her  hand  against  her  heart.  "  But 
we  are  not  responsible  for  it!  I  have  taken  off 
every  chain — and  do  all  I  dare;  while  Sir  William 
shuts  his  eyes  to  my  unlawful  doings." 

"Will  you  aid  her  to  escape,  should  her  life 
be  in  danger  ?  You  told  me  to  speak  out  frankly 
and  to  the  point." 

The  lady  hesitated  only  for  a  moment.  "  I  will 
do  all  I  can— even  to  putting  my  own  life  in  peril. 
When  something  must  be  done,  come  to  me  again. 
And  now  judge  me  and  Sir  William  kindly; 
knowing  that  we  are  not  despots,  but  compelled 
to  rule  somewhat  in  accordance  with  the  desires 
of  those  whom  we  have  been  sent  here  to  govern." 

Lady  Mary  extended  her  hand;  the  young  man 
took  it,  as  he  might  have  taken  the  hand  of  his 
sovereign  Queen,  and  pressed  it  with  his  lips. 
Then  he  bowed  himself  out  of  the  boudoir. 


CHAPTER  XLI. 

Master  Raymond  is  Arrested  for  Witch 
craft. 

As  Master  Raymond  walked  up  the  street 
toward  the  Red  Lion,  he  felt  in  better  spirits. 
He  had  secured  the  aid,  if  things  should  come  to  the 
worst  of  a  very  influential  friend — and  one  who, 
womanlike,  would  be  apt  to  go  even  farther  than 
her  word,  as  noble  spirits  in  such  cases  are  apt 
to  do.  Therefore  he  was  comparatively  light- 
hearted. 

Suddenly  he  felt  a  strong  grasp  upon  his  shoul 
der;  and  turning,  he  saw  a  couple  of  men  beside 
him.  One  he  knew  well  as  deputy-marshall 
Herrick,  of  Salem. 

"You  are  wanted  at  Salem,  Master  Ray 
mond,"  said  Marshall  Herrick  gravely,  producing 
a  paper. 

Raymond  felt  a  sinking  of  heart  as  he  glanced 
over  it — it  was  the  warrant  for  his  arrest,  issued 
by  Squire  Hathorne. 

"At  whose  complaint?"  he  asked,  controlling 
his  emotions,  and  speaking  quite  calmly  and 
pleasantly. 


288  Dulcibel. 

"At  the  complaint  of  Mistress  Ann  Putnam 
and  Master  Jethro  Sands,"  replied  the  officer. 

"Of  witchcraft?  That  is  very  curious.  For 
as  Dr.  Griggs  knows,  just  before  I  left  Salem 
Farms,  I  was  suffering  from  '  an  evil  hand '  myself. " 

"Indeed!"  said  the  officer. 

"When  am  I  to  go?" 

"Immediately.  We  have  provided  a  horse  for 
you." 

"I  should  like  to  get  my  valise,  and  some  clothes 
from  the  Red  Lion." 

The  officer  hesitated. 

Master  Raymond  smiled  pleasantly.  "You 
must  be  hungry  about  this  time  of  day,  and  they 
have  some  of  the  best  wine  at  the  Lion  I  ever 
tasted.  You  shall  drink  a  bottle  or  two  with  me. 
You  know  that  a  man  travels  all  the  better  for 
a  good  dinner  and  a  bottle  of  good  wine." 

The  officers  hesitated  no  longer.  "You  are  a 
sensible  man,  Master  Raymond,  whether  you  are 
a  witch  or  not,"  said  the  deputy  marshall. 

"I  think  if  the  wine  were  better  and  plentier 
around  Salem,  there  would  be  fewer  witches," 
rejoined  Master  Raymond;  which  the  other  officer 
considered  a  very  witty  remark,  judging  by  the 
way  he  laughed  at  it. 


Master  Raymond  Arrested.     289 

The  result  of  this  strategic  movement  of  Master 
Raymond's,  was  that  he  had  a  couple  of  very 
pleasant  and  good-humored  officials  to  attend 
him  all  the  way  to  Salem  jail,  where  they  arrived 
in  the  course  of  the  evening.  Proving  that  thus 
by  the  aid  of  a  little  metaphorical  oil  and  sugar, 
even  official  machinery  could  be  made  to  work  a 
good  deal  smoother  than  it  otherwise  would. 
While  the  officers  themselves  expressed  their  utter 
disbelief  to  the  people  they  met,  of  the  truth  of  the 
charges  that  had  been  brought  against  Master 
Raymond;  who  in  truth  was  himself  "an  afflicted 
person,"  and  had  been  suffering  some  time  from 
an  "evil  hand,"  as  the  wise  Dr.  Griggs  had  de 
clared. 

The  Salem  keeper,  Uncle  Robie,  true  to  his 
accustomed  plan  of  action,  received  Master  Ray 
mond  very  gruffly;  but  after  he  had  got  rid  of  the 
other  professionals,  he  had  a  good  long  talk,  and 
made  his  cell  quite  comfortable  for  him.  He  also 
took  him  in  to  visit  Antipas,  who  was  delighted  to 
see  him,  and  also  to  hear  that  Mistress  Dulcibel, 
was  quite  comfortably  lodged  with  Keeper  Arnold. 

Then  the  young  man  threw  himself  upon  his 
bed,  and  slept  soundly  till  morning.  He  did  not 
need  much  study  to  decide  upon  his  plans,  as  he 
19 


290  Dulcibel. 

had  contemplated  such  a  possibility  as  that,  ever 
since  the  arrest  of  Dulcibel,  and  had  fully  made 
up  his  mind  in  what  manner  he  would  meet  it. 
If,  however,  he  had  known  the  results  of  the  con 
ference  of  the  "afflicted  circle"  two  days  previous, 
he  would  have  felt  more  encouraged  as  to  the 
probable  success  of  the  defence  he  meditated. 
The  constable  that  had  aided  the  deputy-marshall 
in  making  the  arrest,  had  agreed  however  to  send 
word  to  Joseph  Putnam  of  what  had  occurred; 
and  comforted  by  the  thought  of  having  at  least 
one  staunch  friend  to  stand  by  him,  Master  Ray 
mond  had  slept  soundly  even  on  a  prison  pallet. 

The  next  morning,  as  early  as  the  rules  of  the 
jail  would  admit,  Joseph  Putnam  came  to  see 
him.  "I  had  intended  to  come  and  see  you  in 
Boston  to-day,"  said  Master  Joseph,  "but  the 
she-wolf  was  too  quick  for  me." 

"Why,  had  you  heard  anything?" 

"Yes,  and  I  hardly  understand  it.  Abigail 
Williams  called  to  see  Goodwife  Buckley  yester 
day,  and  told  her  in  confidence  that  it  was  prob 
able  you  would  be  cried  out  against  by  Sister  Ann 
and  Jethro  Sands;  and  to  warn  me  of  it." 

"Abigail  Williams!" 

"Yes;  and  she  also  dropped  a  hint  that  none  of 


Master  Raymond  Arrested.      291 

the  other  'afflicted  girls'  had  anything  to  do  with 
it — for  they  looked  upon  you  as  a  very  nice  young 
man,  and  a  friend." 

"Well,  that  is  good  news  indeed,"  said  Master 
Raymond  brightening  up. 

"And  I  called  upon  Doctor  Griggs  on  my  way 
here,  and  he  says  he  is  confident  there  was  an 
'evil  hand'  upon  you  when  you  were  suffering  at 
my  house;  and  he  will  be  on  hand  at  the  exami 
nation  to  give  his  testimony,  if  it  is  needed,  to  that 
effect." 

"But  that  terrible  sister-in-law  of  yours!  If 
she  could  only  be  kept  away  from  the  examination 
for  half-an-hour;  and  give  me  time  to  impress 
the  magistrates  and  the  people  a  little." 

"It  might  be  done  perhaps,"  said  Joseph  Put 
nam  musing. 

"Do  not  be  too  conscientious  about  the  means, 
my  dear  friend,"  continued  Master  Raymond. 
"Do  not  stand  so  straight  that  you  lean  backward. 
Remember  that  this  is  war  and  a  just  war  against 
false  witnesses,  the  shedders  of  innocent  blood, 
and  wicked  or  deceived  rulers.  If  I  am  impris 
oned,  what  is  to  become  of  Dulcibel  ?  Think  of 
her — do  not  think  of  me." 

Joseph  Putnam  was  greatly  agitated.     "I  will 


292  Dulcibel. 

do  all  I  can  for  both  of  you.  But  my  soul  recoils 
from  anything  like  deceit,  as  from  wickedness 
itself.  But  I  will  think  over  it,  and  see  if  I  cannot 
devise  some  way  to  keep  Sister  Ann  away,  for  a 
time  or  altogether/' 

"  Give  me  at  least  fifteen  minutes  to  work  on  the 
Magistrates,  and  to  enlist  the  sympathies  of  the 
people  in  my  behalf.  For  me,  so  far  as  my  con 
science  is  concerned,  I  should  not  hesitate  to  shoot 
that  Jezebel.  For  the  murder  of  the  twenty 
innocent  men  and  women  who  have  now  been  put 
to  death,  she  is  mainly  responsible.  And  to  kill 
her  who  surely  deserves  to  die,  might  save  the  lives 
of  fifty  others." 

Joseph  Putnam  shook  his  head.  "I  cannot  see 
the  matter  in  that  light,  Friend  Raymond." 

"Oh,"  replied  Raymond,  "of  course  I  do  not 
mean  you  should  kill  Mistress  Ann.  I  only  put 
it  as  giving  my  idea  of  how  far  my  conscience  would 
allow  me  to  go  in  the  matter.  Draw  her  off  in 
some  way  though— keep  her  out  of  the  room  for 
awhile — give  me  a  little  time  to  work  in." 

"I  will  do  all  I  can;  you  may  be  sure  of  that,'* 
responded  Master  Putnam  emphatically. 

Here  further  confidential  conversation  was 
prevented  by  the  entrance  of  the  marshall. 


CHAPTER  XLII. 

Master  Raymond  Astonishes  the 

Magistrates. 

The  examination  was  to  commence  at  three 
o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  and  to  be  held  in  the 
Court  House  in  the  town,  as  being  more  con 
venient  to  Squire  Hathorne  than  the  meeting 
house  in  the  village. 

As  Master  Thomas  Putnam's  house  and  farm 
were  several  miles  beyond  the  village,  it  made 
quite  a  long  ride  for  them  to  attend  the  examina 
tion.  He  had  arranged  with  'his  wife,  however, 
to  start  immediately  after  their  usual  twelve 
o'clock  dinner,  taking  her  behind  him  on  a  pillion, 
as  was  customary  at  that  day — his  daughter  Ann 
being  already  in  town,  where  she  was  paying  a 
visit  to  a  friend.  He  had  received  however  a 
message  about  ten  o'clock,  requesting  his  immedi 
ate  presence  at  Ipswich,  on  a  matter  of  the  most 
urgent  importance;  and  though  he  was  greatly 
puzzled  by  it,  he  concluded  to  go  at  once  to  Ipswich 
and  go  from  there  direct  to  Salem  town,  without 

o 

coming  home  again,  as  it  would  be  very  much  out 
of  his  road  to  do  so. 


294  Dulcibel. 

According  to  this  new  arrangement,  Mistress 
Ann  would  take  the  other  horse,  and  a  lady's 
saddle,  and  ride  to  town  by  herself.  They  had 
still  a  third  horse,  but  that  was  already  in  town 
with  her  daughter. 

The  Court  House  was  but  a  short  distance  from 
the  prison;  and,  as  it  was  a  good  Puritan  fashion 
to  be  punctual  to  the  minute,  at  three  o'clock 
precisely  Squires  Hathorne  and  Convin  were  in 
their  arm-chairs,  and  Master  Raymond  standing 
on  the  raised  platform  in  front  of  them.  As  the 
latter  looked  carefully  around  the  room,  he  saw 
that  neither  Thomas  Putnam  nor  his  mischievous 
wife,  nor  his  own  best  friend  Joseph  Putnam,  was 
present.  Squire  Hathorne  also  observed  that 
Mistress  Ann  Putnam  was  not  present;  but,  as 
she  was  usually  very  punctual,  he  concluded  that 
she  would  be  there  in  a  few  minutes,  and  after 
some  whispered  words  with  his  colleague,  resolved 
to  proceed  with  the  examination. 

Turning  to  the  young  Englishman,  he  said  in  his 
usual  stern  tones: — "Ellis  Raymond,  you  are 
brought  before  authority,  upon  high  suspicion 
of  sundry  acts  of  witchcraft.  Now  tell  us  the 
truth  of  this  matter." 

But  no  answer  came  from  the  accused.     Then, 


Raymond  and  the  Magistrates.   295 

when  all  eyes  were  intently  regarding  him,  he  gave 
a  wild  shriek,  and  fell  outstretched  upon  the  plat 
form. 

"Let  me  to  him!"  said  Dr.  Griggs,  elbowing 
his  way  through  the  crowd.  "I  said  a  month  ago 
that  an  'evil  hand'  was  upon  him;  and  now  I  am 
certain  of  it." 

Master  Raymond  had  not  been  an  attentive 
observer  of  the  recent  trials  for  nothing;  and  he 
now  gave  the  audience  an  exhibition  which  would 
compare  favorably  with  the  best,  even  with  Mis 
tress  Ann  Putnam's  and  Abigail  William's.  His 
face  became  shockingly  contorted,  and  he  writhed 
and  twisted  and  turned  convulsively.  He  tore 
imaginary  spectral  hands  from  around  his  neck. 
He  pushed  imaginary  weights  from  off  his  breast. 
He  cried,  "Take  them  away!  Pray,  take  them 
away!"  until  the  whole  company  were  very  much 
affected;  and  even  the  magistrates  were  greatly 
astounded. 

Dr.  Griggs  loosened  his  collar  and  unbuttoned 
his  doublet,  and  had  water  brought  to  sprinkle  his 
face  keeping  up  a  running  fire  of  words  at  the  same 
time,  to  the  effect  that  he  knew,  and  had  said,  as 
least  a  month  before,  that  Master  Raymond  had 
an  "evil  hand"  upon  him. 


296  Dulcibel. 

"Who  is  it  hurts  you  ?"  at  length  asked  credu 
lous  Squire  Hathorne. 

"See,  there  is  the  yellow  bird!"  cried  the  young 
man,  staring  into  vacancy.  "He  is  coming  to 
peck  my  eyes  out!  Kill  it!  kill  it!"  dashing  his 
hands  out  from  his  face  violently.  "Has  no  one 
a  sword — pray  do  try  to  kill  it!" 

Here  an  impetuous  young  villager,  standing  by, 
drew  his  rapier,  and  stabbed  violently  in  the  direc 
tion  of  the  supposed  spectral  bird. 

"Oh!  Oh!  You  almost  killed  it!  See,  there  are 
some  of  its  feathers!"  And  three  yellow  feathers 
were  seen  floating  in  the  air;  being  small  chicken 
feathers  with  which  he  had  been  provided  that 
very  morning  by  Uncle  Robie,  the  jailer;  and 
which  the  adroit  Master  Raymond  rightly  thought 
would  have  a  prodigious  effect. 

And  the  result  was  fully  equal  to  his  expectations. 
From  that  moment,  it  was  evident  that  he  had  all 
the  beholders  with  him;  and  Squire  Hathorne, 
disposed  as  he  had  been  to  condemn  him  almost 
without  a  hearing,  was  completely  staggered.  He 
had  the  feathers  from  the  "yellow  bird"  carefully 
placed  upon  his  desk,  with  the  purpose  of  trans 
mitting  them  at  once  to  Master  Cotton  Mather 
who,  with  these  palpable  proofs  of  the  reality  of  the 


Raymond  and  the  Magistrates.  297 

spectral  appearance  would  be  able  utterly  to 
demolish  all  the  skeptical  unbelievers. 

Finding  that  such  an  effect  had  been  produced, 
Master  Raymond  allowed  himself  to  regain  his 
composure  somewhat. 

"Mistress  Ann  Putnam,  who  is  one  of  the  two 
complainants,  unaccountably  is  not  here,"  said 
Squire  Hathorne.  "Master  Jethro  Sands,  what 
have  you  to  say  against  this  young  man  ?  You 
are  the  other  complainant." 

"Probably  my  mother  has  come  to  the  con 
clusion  that  she  was  mistaken,  as  I  told  her;  and 
therefore  she  has  remained  at  home,"  said  Ann 
Putnam,  the  daughter;  who  was  delighted  with 
the  feather  exhibition,  and  was  secretly  wondering 
how  it  was  done. 

"Well,  what  have  you  to  say, — Jethro  Sands  ?" 

The  audience  looked  around  at  Jethro  with 
scornful  faces,  evidently  considering  him  an 
imposter.  What  did  he  know  about  witches — 
compared  to  this  rich  young  man  from  over  the 
seas  ? 

"Tell  him  you  find  you  were  mistaken  also," 
whispered  Leah  Herrick. 

"After  seeing  what  we  have  seen,  I  withdraw 
my  charges,  Squire.  I  think  that  Mistress  Put- 


298  Dulcibel. 

nam  and  myself  must  have  been  visited  by  the 
spectre  of  somebody  else,  and  not  by  Master 
Raymond." 

"  I  hope  that  next  time  you  will  wait  until  you 
are  quite  certain,"  replied  Squire  Hathorne 
gruffly.  "Do  you  know  that  Master  Raymond 
can  have  his  action  against  you  for  very  heavy 
damages,  for  slander  and  defamation  ?" 

"I  certainly  am  very  sorry,  and  humbly  beg 
Master  Raymond's  pardon,"  said  Jethro,  very 
much  alarmed.  He  had  never  thought  that  the 
affair  might  take  this  turn — as  indeed  it  did  in 
many  cases,  some  six  months  afterward;  and 
which  was  a  very  effective  damper  upon  the  spirits 
of  the  prosecutors. 

Then  the  magistrates  could  do  nothing  less  than 
discharge  the  prisoner;  and  Master  Raymond 
stepped  down  from  the  platform  a  free  man,  to  be 
surrounded  by  quite  a  circle  of  sympathizing 
friends.  But  his  first  thanks  were  due  to  Dr. 
Griggs  for  his  professional  services. 

"Doctor,  those  things  you  did  for  me  when  in 
the  convulsions,  relieved  me  greatly,"  and  he 
took  out  his  purse.  "Yes,  Doctor,  I  insist  upon 
it.  Skill  like  yours  is  always  worth  its  recom 
pense.  We  must  not  muzzle  the  ox,  you  know, 


Raymond  and  the  Magistrates. 


299 


that  treads  out  the  corn."  And  he  put  a  gold 
piece  into  Dr.  Grigg's  palm — which  was  not  often 
favored  with  anything  but  silver  in  Salem. 

Dr.  Griggs  was  glad  that  he  had  been  able  to 
render  him  a  little  service;  and  said  that,  if  there 
had  been  the  least  necessity  for  it,  he  would  have 
gone  on  the  platform,  and  testified  as  to  the  com 
plete  absurdity  of  the  charge  that  that  excellent 
woman,  Mistress  Ann  Putnam,  evidently  in  mis 
take,  had  brought  against  him. 

Then  the  " afflicted  circle"  had  to  be  spoken  to, 
who  this  afternoon  did  not  appear  to  be  in  the 
least  afflicted,  but  in  the  very  best  of  spirits.  They 
now  felt  more  admiration  for  him  than  ever;  and 
greeted  him  with  great  cordiality  as  he  came  to 
where  they  were  standing.  "When  are  you  going 
back  to  England  ?"  was  a  frequent  question;  and 
he  assured  them  he  now  hoped  to  go  before  many 
weeks;  and  then,  smiling,  added  that  they  would 
be  certain  to  hear  from  him. 

As  the  crowd  thinned  out  a  little,  Abigail  Wil 
liams  called  him  aside;  "and  did  you  really  see 
the  yellow  bird,  Master  Raymond  ?"  said  she 
archly. 

"The  yellow  bird!"  replied  he  dreamily. 
"Ah!  you  know  that  when  we  that  are  'afflicted' 


300  Dulcibel. 

go  into  trances,  we  are  not  conscious  of  all  that 
we  see." 

"For  it  seemed  to  me,"  continued  the  girl  in  a 
low  tone,"  that  those  feathers  looked  very  much 
like  chicken  feathers."  Then  she  laughed  cun 
ningly,  and  peered  into  his  face. 

"Indeed!"  replied  the  young  man  gravely; 
"well,  a  chicken's  bill,  pecking  at  your  eyes,  is  not 
a  thing  to  be  made  light  of.  I  knew  of  a  girl,  one 
of  whose  eyes  was  put  entirely  out  by  her  pet 
canary." 

And  as  he  moved  at  once  toward  the  rest  of  the 
group,  the  quick-witted  and  precocious  child  was 
compelled  to  follow. 

The  magistrates  had  left  the  Court  House,  with 
the  majority  of  the  people,  including  Jethro  Sands, 
when  who  should  come  in,  walking  hastily,  and 
his  face  flushed  with  hard  riding,  but  Thomas 
Putnam. 

"Am  I  too  late?  What  was  done?"  he  said 
quickly  to  Leah  Herrick,  who  was  standing  near 
the  door. 

"Oh,  the  charge  broke  down,  and  Master  Ray 
mond  was  discharged." 

"Ah!   Where    is   my   wife?" 

"She  did  not  come.     It  was  said  by  your  daugh- 


Raymond  and  the  Magistrates.  301 

ter,  that  she  probably  found  she  was  mistaken  in 
the  person,  and  stayed  for  that  reason." 

"I  do  not  believe  it — she  would  have  told  me. 
What  did  Jethro  Sands  do?" 

"Oh,  he  withdrew  the  charges,  so  far  as  he  was 
concerned.  There  was  a  great  deal  more  danger 
that  Master  Raymond  would  prove  him  to  be  a 
witch,  than  he  Master  Raymond." 

"I  see — it  is  a  case  of  conspiracy!"  exclaimed 
Master  Putnam  hotly.  "Had  you  any  hand  in 
this,  Master  Raymond  ?"  turning  to  the  young 
Englishman,  who  had  drawn  near,  on  his  way  to 
the  door. 

"Ah,  Master  Putnam,  glad  to  see  you.  You 
did  get  here  early  enough  however  to  witness  my 
triumphant  vindication.  Here  is  learned  Dr. 
Griggs,  and  young  Mistress  Williams,  and  your 
own  gifted  daughter,  and  handsome  Mistress 
Herrick,  and  half-a-dozen  others  of  my  old  friends 
who  were  ready  to  testify  in  my  behalf,  if  any 
testimony  had  been  needed.  Make  my  com 
pliments  to  Mistress  Putnam;  and  give  her  my 
best  thanks  for  her  noble  course,  in  confessing  by 
her  absence  that  she  was  mistaken,  and  that  she 
had  accused  the  wrong  person." 

The  cool  assurance  with  which  this  was  uttered, 


302  .    Dulcibel. 

quite  confused  Thomas  Putnam.  Could  his 
wife  have  stayed  away  purposely  ?  Perhaps  so, 
for  she  was  accustomed  to  rapid  changes  of  her 
plans.  But  why  then  had  he  been  lured  off  on  a 
wild-goose  chase  all  the  way  to  Ipswich  ? 

While  he  was  standing  there  musing,  his  daugh 
ter  came  up.  "I  think,  father,  you  and  mother, 
next  time,  had  better  take  my  advice,"  said  that 
incorrigible  and  unmanageable  young  lady;  just 
about  as  opposite  a  character  to  the  usual  child 
of  that  period  as  could  well  be  imagined.  But 
these  witchcraft  trials,  in  which  she  figured  so 
prominently  had  utterly  demoralized  her  in  this  as 
in  certain  other  respects. 


CHAPTER  XLIII. 
Why  Thomas  Putnam  Went  to  Ipswich. 

What  young  Master  Joseph  Putnam  undertook 
to  do,  he  was  apt  to  do  pretty  thoroughly.  When 
he  had  once  made  up  his  mind  to  keep  both  his 
brother's  wife  and  his  brother  himself,  away  from 
the  examination,  he  had  rapidly  thought  over 
various  plans,  and  adopted  two  which  he  felt 
pretty  certain  would  not  fail.  They  all  involved 
a  little  deceit,  or  at  least  double  dealing — and  he 
hated  both  those  things  with  a  righteous  hatred — 
but  it  was  to  prevent  a  great  injustice,  and  perhaps 
to  save  life. 

As  he  rode  rapidly  homeward,  turning  over 
various  plans,  in  his  mind,  he  had  passed  through 
the  village,  when  he  saw  some  one  approaching 
on  what  seemed  to  be  the  skeleton  of  an  old  horse. 
He  at  once  recognized  the  rider  as  an  odd  charac- 

O 

ter,  a  carpenter,  whom  he  at  one  time  had  occasion 
to  employ  in  doing  some  work  on  a  small  property 
he  owned  in  Ipswich.  Reining  up  his  horse, 
Master  Putnam  stopped  to  have  a  chat  with  the 
man — whose  oddity  mainly  consisted  in  his  taci 
turnity,  which  was  broken  only  by  brief  and  pithy 
sentences. 

3°3 


304  Dulcibel. 

"A  fine  day  Ezekiel — how  are  things  in  Ips 
wich?" 

"Grunty!" 

"Ah!  I  am  sorry  to  hear  it.  Why,  what  is  the 
matter?" 

"Broomsticks,  chiefly." 

"You  mean  the  witches.  That  is  a  bad  busi 
ness.  But  how  shall  we  mend  it?" 

The  old  carpenter  was  too  shrewd  to  commit  him 
self.  He  glanced  at  Master  Putnam,  and  then 
turning  his  head  aside,  and  giving  a  little  laugh, 
said,  "Burn  all  the  broomsticks." 

"A  good  idea,"  replied  Master  Putnam,  also 
laughing.  "Oh,  by  the  way,  Ezekiel,  I  wonder 
if  you  could  do  a  little  errand  for  me  ?"  and  the 
young  man  took  out  his  purse  and  began  opening 
it.  "You  are  not  in  a  great  hurry,  are  you?" 

"Hurry,  is  for  fools!" 

"You  know  where  my  brother  Thomas  lives? 
Up  this  road  ?"  They  were  just  where  two  roads 
joined,  one  leading  by  his  own  house,  and  the 
other  past  his  brother's. 

"I  wish  I  knew  the  road  to  heaven  as  well." 

"You  know  how  to  keep  silent,  and  how  to  talk 
also,  Ezekiel — especially  when  you  are  well  paid 
for  it?" 


Thomas  Putnam  at  Ipswich.    305 

The  old  man  laughed.  "A  little  bullet  some 
times  makes  a  big  hole,"  he  said. 

"  I  want  you  to  go  to  my  brother  Thomas,  and 
say  simply  these  words: — Ipswich  Crown  and 
Anchor.  Very  important  indeed.  At  once. 
Wait  till  he  comes." 

"All  right."  And  he  held  out  his  hand,  into 
which  Master  Joseph  put  as  much  silver  as  the  old 
man  could  make  in  a  whole  week's  work. 

"You  are  not  to  remember  who  sent  you,  or 
anything  else  than  those  words.  Perhaps  you 
have  been  drinking  rather  too  much  cider,  you 
know.  Do  you  understand  ?" 

The  old  man's  face  assumed  at  once  a  very  dull 
and  vacant  expression,  and  he  said  in  that  impres 
sive  manner  which  rather  too  many  glasses  is  apt 
to  give,  "Ipswich.  Crown  and  Anchor.  Very 
important  indeed.  At  once.  Wait  till  he  comes." 

"That  will  do  very  well,  Ezekiel.  But  not  a 
word  more,  mind!" 

"Tight  as  a  rat-trap,"  replied  the  old  man — 
and  he  turned  his  skeleton's  head,  and  went  up 
the  road  towards  Thomas  Putnam's. 

Joseph  felt  certain  that  this  would  take  his 
brother  to  Ipswich.  Both  of  them  were  greatly 
interested  in  a  lawsuit  with  certain  of  the  Ipswich 

20 


306  Dulcibel. 

people,  regarding  the  northern  boundary  of  the 
Putnam  farms.  Thomas  was  managing  the  mat 
ter  for  the  family;  and  was  continually  on  the 
look-out  for  fresh  evidence  to  support  the  Putnam 
claim.  In  fact,  bright  Master  Raymond  had  once 
said  that,  between  the  Salem  witches  and  the 
Ips-witches,  Master  Thomas  seemed  to  have  no 
peace  of  his  life.  But  this  was  before  the  witch 
persecutions  had  assumed  such  a  tragical  aspect. 

When  Ezekiel  had  found  Thomas  Putnam  and 
delivered  his  brief  message,  without  dismounting 
from  his  skeleton  steed,  Master  Putnam  asked  at 
once  who  sent  the  message. 

"Ipswich.  Crown  and  Anchor.  Very  impor 
tant  indeed!  At  once.  Wait  till  he  comes," 
repeated  the  old  man,  with  a  face  of  the  most 
impassive  solemnity,  and  emphasizing  every  sen 
tence  with  his  long  fore-finger. 

And  that  was  all  Master  Thomas  could  get  out 
of  him.  That  much  came  just  as  often  as  he 
wished  it;  but  no  more — not  a  word. 

Mistress  Ann  Putnam  had  come  out  to  the  gate 
by  that  time.  "He  has  been  drinking  too  much 
cider,"  she  said. 

This  gave  a  suggestion  to  Ezekiel. 

"Yes,    too    much    cider.     Rum — steady    me!" 


Thomas  Putnam  at  Ipswich.    307 

Mistress  Putnam  thought  that  it  might  produce 
an  effect  of  that  kind,  and,  going  back  into  the 
house,  soon  reappeared  with  a  rather  stiff  drink  of 
West  India  rum;  which  the  old  man  tossed  off 
with  no  perceptible  difficulty. 

He  smiled  as  he  handed  back  the  tin  cup  which 
had  held  it.  "  Yes — steady  now!"  he  said. 

"Who  gave  you  the  message?"  again  asked 
Master  Putnam. 

Ezekiel  looked  solemn  and  thoughtful.  "Who 
gave  'im  the  message,"  replied  Ezekiel  slowly. 

"  Yes — who  sent  you  to  me  ? " 

"Who  sent  yer — to — me?"  again  repeated 
Ezekiel.  "Ipswich.  Crown  and  Anchor.  At 
once.  Wait  till  he  comes."  Then  the  old  man's 
countenance  cleared  up,  as  if  everything  now  must 
be  perfectly  satisfactory. 

"Oh  there  is  no  use  in  trying  to  get  any  more 
out  of  him — he  is  too  much  fuddled,"  said  Mistress 
Putnam  impatiently. 

"More   rum — steady   me!"   mumbled   Ezekiel. 

"No,  not  a  drop  more,"  said  Thomas  Putnam 
peremptorily.  "You  have  had  too  much  al 
ready.  " 

The  old  man  frowned— and  turning  the  skeleton 
steed  after  considerable  effort,  he  gave  his  parting 


3o8  Dulcibel. 

shot — "Crown  and  anchor — wait  till  he  comes!" 
and  rode  off  in  a  spasmodic  trot  down  the  lane. 

I  shall  have  to  go  to  Ipswich,  and  see  about  this, 
it  may  supply  the  missing  link  in  our  chain  of 
evidence!" 

"But  how  about  this  afternoon?"  queried  his 
wife. 

"Oh,  I  can  get  to  Salem  by  three  o'clock,  by 
fast  riding.  I  will  leave  the  roan  horse  for  you." 
"Saddle  the  grey  mare,  Jehosaphat." 

And  thus  it  was  that  his  brother  Joseph,  look 
ing  out  of  his  sitting-room  window,  about  an  hour 
after  his  arrival  at  home,  saw  Master  Thomas 
Putnam,  on  his  well-known  grey  mare,  riding  along 
the  road  past  his  house  on  the  most  direct  route 
to  Ipswich. 

"  He  is  out  of  the  way,  for  one — if  he  waits  an 
hour  or  two  for  any  person  to  meet  him  on  impor 
tant  business  at  the  Crown  and  Anchor,"  thought 
the  young  man.  It  is  important  indeed  though 
that  he  should  go,  and  keep  himself  out  of  mis 
chief;  and  from  helping  to  take  any  more  innocent 
lives.  And  when  he  comes  to  his  senses — in  the 
next  world,  if  not  in  this — he  will  thank  me  for 
deceiving  him.  Now  let  me  see  whether  I  can  do 
as  good  a  turn  for  that  delectable  wife  of  his. 


CHAPTER  XLIV. 

How  Master  Joseph  Circumvented  Mis 
tress  Ann. 

About  an  hour  afterwards,  Master  Joseph  saw 
one  of  his  farm-hands  coming  over  the  fields 
from  the  direction  of  his  brother's  house,  which 
was  about  two  miles  almost  directly  to  the  west 
of  his  own  house.  Going  out  to  meet  him,  he 
said — 

"Well,  Simon  Peter,  I  see  that  you  got  the  rake. " 

"Yes,  Master  Joseph;  but  they  wish  me  to 
return  it  as  soon  as  we  can." 

"That  is  right.  Finish  your  job  in  the  garden 
this  afternoon,  and  take  it  back  early  to-morrow 
morning.  You  can  go  to  work  now." 

The  man  walked  off  toward  the  garden. 

"Wait  a  moment!"  his  master  cried.  The  man 
stopped.  "Anything  new  at  brother  Thomas's? 
Are  they  all  at  home  ?" 

"No,  indeed!  Master  Thomas  has  gone  off  to 
Ipswich — and  little  Ann  is  at  Salem  town." 

"I  could  not  borrow  a  horse,  then,  of  them,  you 
think?" 

"No,  indeed,  sir.  There  is  only  one  left  in  the 
309 


IO 


Dulcibel. 


stable;  and  Mistress  Putnam  means  to  use  that 
to  go  to  the  trial  this  afternoon." 

"Oh,  well,  I  do  not  care  much;"  and  his  mas 
ter  walked  off  to  the  house,  while  Simon  Peter 
went  to  his  work. 

"Then,  after  a  somewhat  earlier  dinner  than 
usual,  Master  Joseph  ordered  his  young  horse, 
Sweetbriar,  saddled;  and  after  kissing  his  wife 
"in  a  scandalous  manner" — that  is,  out  of  doors, 
where  some  one  might  have  seen  him  do  it — he 
mounted,  and  cantered  off  down  the  lane. 

The  young  man  loved  a  good  horse  and  he 
claimed  that  Sweetbriar,  with  a  year  or  two  more 
of  age  and  hardening,  would  be  the  fastest  horse 
in  the  Province.  As  to  temper,  the  horse  was 
well  named;  for  he  could  be  as  sweet,  when  prop 
erly  handled,  as  a  rose;  and  as  sharp  and  briary 
as  any  rose-stalk  under  contrary  conditions.  A 
nervous,  sensitive,  high-mettled  animal;  Mistress 
Putnam,  though  a  good  rider,  said  it  was  too  much 
work  to  manage  him.  While  her  husband  always 
responded  that  Sweetbriar  could  be  ridden  by  any 
one,  for  he  was  as  gentle  as  a  lamb. 

Just  as  Mistress  Ann  Putnam  had  got  through 
her  dinner,  she  saw  her  brother-in-law  Joseph 
riding  up  the  lane.  The  brothers,  as  has  been 


Master  Joseph  and  Mistress  Ann.   311 

seen,  differed  very  widely  relative  to  the  Witch 
craft  prosecutions;  but  still  they  visited  one 
another,  as  they  were  held  together  by  various 
family  ties,  and  especially  by  the  old  lawsuit 
against  certain  of  the  Ipswich  men,  to  which  I  have 
alluded. 

Therefore  Mistress  Putnam  opened  the  door 
and  went  out  to  the  garden  gate,  where  by  this 
time  the  young  man  had  dismounted,  and  fastened 
his  horse. 

"Is   brother  Thomas   at  home,   Sister  Ann?" 

"No — he  had  a  call  to  Ipswich  this  morning." 

"Ah — the     lawsuit     business." 

"I  suppose  so.  But  the  messenger  was  so 
overcome  with  liquor,  that  he  could  not  even 
remember  who  sent  him." 

"Why,  how  could  Thomas  know  where  to  go 
then?" 

"Oh,  the  man  managed  to  say  that  his  employee 
would  be  waiting  for  Thomas  at  the  "Crown  and 
Anchor, "  where  he  usually  stops  you  know. " 

"Well,  I  am  glad  that  Thomas  went.  I  stopped 
to  see  if  Jehosaphat  could  do  a  little  errand  for  me— 
I  might  have  sent  one  of  my  own  men,  but  I  forget 
matters  sometimes." 

"You  will  find  him  at  the  barn,"  replied  Mistress 


312  Dulcibel. 

Putnam,  a  little  anxious  to  cut  short  the  conver 
sation,  as  she  wished  to  get  ready  for  her  ride  to 
Salem. 

Going  to  the  barn,  Master  Joseph  soon  found 
Jehosaphat.  "How  do,  Fatty!"  this  was  the  not 
very  dignified  diminutive  into  which  Jehosaphat 
had  dwindled  in  common  use.  "How  are  you 
getting  along  ?" 

"Fair  to  middlin,  sir.  Not  as  well  though  as 
on  the  old  place,  Master  Joseph." 

"I  do  not  want  to  interfere  with  my  brother, 
remember;  but  if  at  any  time  he  should  not  want 
you  any  more,  remember  the  old  place  is  still  open 
for  you.  It  was  your  own  fault,  you  know,  that 
you  went." 

"I  did  not  know  when  I  was  well  off,  Master 
Joseph.  I  was  a  fool,  that  was  all." 

"I  thought  so,"  replied  Master  Joseph  pithily. 
"  But  no  matter  about  that  now — can  you  do  an 
errand  for  me  ?" 

"Of  course  I  can — the  mistress  willing." 

o 

"Well,  I  said  I  wished  to  send  you  on  an  errand, 
and  she  told  me  where  to  find  you." 

"That  is  all  right  then." 

"Go  to  Goodman  Buckley's,  in  Salem  village, 
and  ask  him  for  a  bundle  I  left — bring  it  to  my 


Master  Joseph  and  Mistress  Ann.  313 

house,  you  know,  you  can  take  the  roan  horse  there. 

And,  by  the  way,  Fatty,  if  you  want  to  stop  an  hour 

or  two  to  see  the  widow  Jones's  pretty  daughter,  I 

guess  no  great  harm  will  be  done." 

Jehosaphat  giggled — but  then  his  face  clouded. 

"But  Mistress   Putnam  wants  to  take  the   roan 

herself  this  afternoon.     The  trial  comes  off,  you 

know," 

"  Oh,  it  is  not  a  trial — it  is  only  an  examination. 
And  it  is  all  fiddlesticks,  anyhow.  My  sister-in- 
law  is  ruining  her  health  by  all  this  witch  business. 
But  if  she  insists  upon  going,  I  will  lend  her  one  of 
my  horses.  Therefore  that  need  not  keep  you." 
So  Jehosaphat,  in  high  glee  at  having  an  after 
noon's  holiday,  with  the  roan  horse,  threw  on  the 
saddle  and  mounted. 

As  he  rode  at  a  rapid  canter  down  the  lane, 
Mistress  Ann  heard  the  noise,  but  supposed  it  was 
Master  Joseph  riding  off  again, — and  did  not  even 
trouble  herself  to  look  out  of  the  window,  especially 
as  she  was  just  then  changing  her  gown. 

Not  long  after,  coming  into  the  family  room,  who 
should  she  see  there,  sitting  demurely,  reading  one 
of  the  Reverend  Cotton  Mather's  most  popular 
sermons,  but  the  same  Master  Joseph  Putnam 
whom  she  had  thought  she  was  well  rid  of. 


314  Dulcibel. 

"I  thought  you  had  gone.  I  surely  heard  you 
riding  down  the  lane,"  she  said  in  a  surprised 
tone. 

"Oh,  no,  I  wanted  to  speak  with  you  about 
something. " 

"Who  was  it  then  ? — I  surely  heard  some  one." 

"Perhaps  it  was  one  of  those  spectral  horses, 
with  a  spectral  rider.  As  Master  Mather  says: 
These  are  very  wonderful  and  appalling  times!" 
And  the  young  man  laughed  a  little  scornfully. 

"  Brother  Joseph,  I  do  not  care  to  talk  with  you 
upon  this  question.  I  greatly  regret,  as  do  your 
brothers  and  your  uncles,  that  you  have  gone  over 
to  the  infidels  and  the  scoffers." 

"And  I  regret  that  they  are  making  such  fools 
of  themselves,"  replied  Joseph  hotly. 

"I  have  no  time  to  discuss  this  question,  brother 
Joseph,"  said  Mistress  Ann  with  dignity.  "I 
am  going  to  Salem  town  this  afternoon,  very  much 
in  the  cross,  to  give  my  testimony  against  a  young 
friend  of  yours.  Would  that  I  could  have  been 
spared  this  trial!"  and  his  sister-in-law  looked  up 
to  the  ceiling  sanctimoniously.  As  Joseph  told 
his  young  wife  that  night,  her  hypocrisy  hardened 
his  heart  against  her;  so  that  he  could  have  kept 
her  at  home  by  sheer  force,  if  it  were  necessary, 


Master  Joseph  and  Mistress  Ann.  315 

and  at  all  expedient — in  fact  he  would  have  pre 
ferred  that  rough  but  sincere  way. 

"If  you  testify  to  anything  that  throws  doubt 
upon  Master  Raymond's  perfect  innocency  and 
goodness,  you  will  testify  to  a  lie,"  replied  Master 
Joseph  severely. 

"As  I  said,  I  have  no  time  for  argument.  Will 
you  be  good  enough  to  tell  Jehosaphat  to  saddle 
the  roan  for  me." 

"You  know  that  I  had  your  permission  to  send 
Fatty  off  on  an  errand — and  he  is  not  back  yet. 

Mistress  Putnam  started  and  bit  her  lip.  She 
had  made  a  mistake.  "I  suppose  he  will  be  back 
before  long." 

"I  doubt  it.     I  sent  him  to  the  village." 

"Well,  I  suppose  I  can  put  on  the  saddle  myself. 
Your  conscience  probably  would  not  allow  you  to 
do  it — even  if  common  courtesy  towards  a  woman, 
and  that  woman  your  sister,  demanded  it." 

"Without  deciding  the  latter  point,  I  should 
think  it  almost  impossible  for  me  to  put  a  saddle 
on  the  roan  just  now." 

"Why?  I  do  not  understand  you." 

"Because  he  is  doubtless  miles  away  by  this 
time." 

"Jehosaphat  did  not  take  the  horse!" 


3i6  Dulcibel. 

"It  is  precisely  what  he  did  do." 

"  He  knew  I  wanted  the  roan  to  ride  to  Salem 
town  this  afternoon." 

"He  told  me  you  did;  but  I  said  that  I  thought 
you  would  have  too  much  sense  to  go.  Still,  if 
you  would  go,  that  I  would  lend  you  one  of  my 
horses." 

"Well,  where  is  your  horse?" 

"There,  at  the  door.  You  can  take  off  my 
saddle,  and  put  on  your  side-saddle,  and,  if  you  are 
in  a  hurry,  Sweetbriar  can  do  the  distance  in  half 
the  time  that  the  roan  could." 

Mistress  Putnam  could  have  cried  writh  anger 
and  vexation.  Like  many  people  of  strong  and 
resolute  will,  she  was  a  good  deal  of  a  coward  on 
horseback;  and  she  knew  that  Sweetbriar  was 
what  the  farmers  called  "  a  young  and  very  skittish 
animal."  Still  her  determined  spirit  rose 
against  thus  being  outdone;  besides,  she  knew 
well  that  in  a  case  like  this,  where  none  of  the 
"afflicted  circle,"  not  even  her  own  daughter, 
would  aid  her,  the  whole  thing  might  fall  through 
if  she  were  not  present..  So  she  said,  "Well,  I 
will  saddle  your  horse  myself." 

Here  Master  Joseph  relented — because  he  now 
felt  certain  of  his  game.  "I  have  conscientious 


Master  Joseph  and  Mistress  Ann.  317 

scruples  against  lifting  even  my  little  finger  to  aid 
you  in  this  unholy  business,"  he  said  more  placidly, 
"but  under  the  circumstances,  I  will  saddle  Sweet- 
briar  for  you." 

So  saying,  he  took  ofF  his  saddle  from  the  horse, 
and  substituted  the  side-saddle  which  he  brought 
from  the  barn.  Then  he  led  Sweetbriar  to  the 
horse-block,  and  his  sister-in-law  mounted. 

She  glanced  at  his  spurs.  "You  ride  him  with 
spurs,  I  see.  Hand  me  my  riding-whip,"  she  said, 
pointing  to  where  she  had  laid  it,  when  she  first 
came  out. 

"I  would  not  strike  him,  if  I  were  you.  He  is 
not  used  to  the  whip — it  might  make  him  trouble 
some." 

Mistress  Putnam  made  no  reply;  but  gathered 
up  the  reins,  and  the  horse  started  down  the  lane. 

A  singular  smile  came  across  the  young  man's 
features.  He  went  back  and  closed  the  door  of  the 
house,  and  then  started  in  a  rapid  walk  across  the 
field  towards  his  own  home.  Neither  of  them 
thought  it  mattered  that  the  house  was  left  for  a 
time  unprotected.  Mistress  Putnam  knew  that  a 
couple  of  farm-hands  were  at  work  in  a  distant 
field,  who  would  be  back  at  sundown;  and  there 
were  so  few  strollers  at  that  time,  that  no  fanner 


318  Dulcibel. 

thought  of  bolting  up  his  doors  and  windows  when 
he  went  to  meeting,  or  to  see  a  neighbor. 

The  way  home  across  the  fields  was  a  good  deal 
nearer  than  to  go  by  the  road,  as  the  latter  made 
quite  an  angle.  And,  as  the  young  man  strode 
swiftly,  on  he  could  see  in  many  places  his  sister- 
in-law,  riding  deliberately  along,  and  approaching 
the  forks  of  the  road,  where  anyone  going  to  his 
own  house,  would  turn  and  ride  away  from,  instead 
of  toward  Salem. 

"When  she  gets  to  the  forks  of  the  road,  look 
out  for  squalls,"  said  Master  Joseph  to  himself. 
For  many  had  been  his  own  fights  with  Sweetbriar, 
when  the  horse  wanted  to  go  towards  his  stable, 
after  a  long  ride,  and  his  young  master  wanted 
him  to  go  in  the  opposite  direction.  Sweetbriar 
had  already  gone  about  twenty  miles  that  day— 
and,  besides,  had  been  given  only  the  merest 
mouthful  for  dinner,  \vith  the  object  of  preparing 
him  for  this  special  occasion. 

The  next  swell  in  the  ground  afforded  the  young 
man  an  excellent  view.  Sweetbriar  had  arrived 
at  the  turn  which  led  to  his  stable;  where  rest  and 
oats  awaited  him;  and  it  evidently  seemed  to  ijim 
the  height  of  injustice  and  unreason  to  be  asked 
to  go  all  the  way  back  to  Salem  again.  Mistress 


Master  Joseph  and  Mistress  Ann.  319 

Ann,  however,  knew  nothing  of  these  previous 
experiences  of  the  animal,  but  imputed  his  insub 
ordinate  behavior  entirely  to  self-will  and  obsti 
nacy.  And  thus,  as  the  great  globe  moves  around 
the  sun  in  a  perpetual  circle,  as  the  result  of  the 
two  conflicting  forces  of  gravitation  and  fly-off-it- 
iveness,  so  Sweetbriar  circled  around  and  around, 
like  a  cat  chasing  his  tail,  as  the  result  of  the  con 
flicting  wills  of  himself  and  his  rider. 

Master  Joseph  watched  the  progress  of  the  whole 
affair  with  decided  pleasure.  "No  woman  but  a 
witch  could  get  Sweetbriar  past  that  turn,"  he 
said  to  himself,  laughing  out-right,  "And  no  man, 
who  had  not  a  pair  of  spurs  on." 

At  last,  getting  out  of  all  patience,  Mistress  Put 
nam  raised  her  whip  and  brought  it  down  sharply 
on  her  horse's  shoulder.  This  decided  the  struggle; 
for,  unused  to  such  punishment,  the  fiery  animal 
reared,  and  then  turning,  sprang  up  the  road  that 
led  to  his  stable  at  a  wild  gallop. 

His  rider  as  I  have  said,  was  not  a  very  good 
horse-woman,  and  she  now  took  hold  of  the  horn 
of  the  saddle  with  her  right  hand,  to  enable  her  to 
keep  her  seat;  and  tried  to  moderate  the  gait  of  the 
horse  with  the  reins  and  the  voice,  abandoning  all 
further  resistance  to  his  will  as  useless. 


32o  Dulcibel. 

Setting  off  at  a  run,  Master  Joseph  was  able  to 
reach  home  just  about  the  same  time  as  his  sister- 
in-law  did. 

"Ah!  I  am  glad  you  changed  your  mind,  Sister 
Ann,  about  going  to  Salem.  It  is  a  great  deal 
more  sensible  to  come  and  spend  the  afternoon 
with  Elizabeth." 

"Very  glad  to  see  you,  Sister  Ann,"  said  Mis 
tress  Joseph,  coming  out  to  the  horse-block,  at 
which  Sweetbriar,  from  force  of  habit,  had  stopped. 

Mistress  Ann  looked  offended,  and  replied 
coldly,  "I  had  no  intention  of  coming  here  this 
afternoon,  Sister  Elizabeth;  but  this  vile  brute, 
which  Joseph  lent  me,  after  sending  away  my  own 
horse,  would  neither  obey  the  reins  nor  the  whip." 

"You  rascal!"  said  Master  Joseph  severely, 
addressing  the  horse.  "You  do  not  deserve  to 
have  a  lady  ride  you." 

"Can  you  not  lend  me  another  horse — say  the 
one  Elizabeth  always  rides?" 

"All  the  other  horses  are  out  at  work,"  replied 
Master  Joseph;  and  before  I  could  get  one  of 
them  in,  and  at  all  groomed  up,  ready  for  the 
saddle,  I  am  afraid  it  would  be  too  late  for  your 
purpose." 

"  So  I  must  be  compelled  to  do  as  you  wish,  and 


Master  Joseph  and  Mistress  Ann.  321 

stay  away  from  the  examination  ?"  said  Mistress 
Ann  bitterly. 

"Oh,  if  you  choose,  I  will  put  a  pillion  on  Sweet- 
briar,  and  see  how  that  works  ?"  replied  Master 
Joseph  with  a  meek  and  patient  expression  of 
countenance,  as  of  one  upbraided  without  cause. 
"To  be  sure,  Sweetbriar  has  never  been  asked  to 
carry  double;  but  he  might  as  well  learn  now  as 
ever." 

"That  seems  to  be  the  only  thing  that  can  be 
done  now,"  and  the  expression  of  Mistress  Ann's 
face  resembled  that  of  a  martyr  who  was  about  to 
be  tied  to  the  stake;  for  riding  on  a  pillion  brought 
the  lady  always  into  the  closest  proximity  with  the 
gentleman,  and  she  was  now  cherishing  towards 
Master  Joseph  a  temper  that  could  hardly  be 
called  sisterly. 

There  was  necessarily  a  great  waste  of  time  in 
getting  the  pillion  on  Sweetbriar.  He  never  had 
carried  double,  and  he  evidently  felt  insulted  by 
being  asked  to  do  it.  Master  Joseph  glanced  at 
the  sun,  and  knew  it  must  be  now  full  two  o'clock. 
Only  by  fast  riding,  would  it  be  possible  to  get  to 
Salem  court-house  by  three;  and  the  roads,  as 
they  then  were,  did  not  admit  of  fast  riding  except 
in  a  few  places. 


21 


322  Dulcibel. 

It  was  no  easy  thing  for  Mistress  Ann  to  get  on 
Sweetbriar,  for  the  horse  backed  and  sidled  off 
from  the  horse-block  whenever  she  attempted  it- 
all  his  sweetness  seemed  gone  by  this  time,  and  the 
briars  alone  remained.  At  least  fifteen  minutes 
more  were  lost  in  this  way.  But  at  last  the  dif 
ficult  feat  was  accomplished. 

"Hold  on  to  me  tightly,"  said  the  young  man, 
"or  you  will  be  thrown  off—  '  for  the  irritated 
animal  began  to  curvet  around  in  all  directions, 
manifesting  a  strong  determination  to  go  back  to 
his  stable,  instead  of  forward  towards  Salem. 

"I  think  we  had  better  try  the  other  road,  and 
not  pass  the  forks  where  you  had  so  much  trouble 
with  him,"  said  Master  Joseph,  as  the  horse  went 
more  quietly,  going  up  the  first  hill. 

"As  you  think  best,"  said  his  sister-in-law,  in  a 
sharp  tone,  "If  I  had  a  horse  like  this  I  would 
shoot  him!" 

"Oh,  Sweetbriar  is  good  enough  usually.  I 
never  saw  him  so  violent  and  troublesome  as  he  is 
to-day.  And  I  think  I  know  the  reason  of  it." 

"What  is  the   reason  ?" 

"I  fear  he  has  an  'evil  hand'  upon  him,"  said 
Master  Joseph  with  great  solemnity." 

"Nonsense,"     replied     Mistress    Ann    sharply. 


Master  Joseph  and  Mistress  Ann.  323 

"He  has  got  the  wicked  One  in  him;  that  is  the 
matter  with  him." 

"That  is  about  the  same  thing,"  said  Master 
Joseph. 

Now  they  were  at  the  top  of  the  hill,  and  the 
horse  broke  into  tantrums  again;  requiring  all  of 
Master  Joseph's  skill  to  prevent  his  toppling  him 
self  and  his  two  riders  over  one  of  the  many 
boulders  that  obstructed  the  road. 

"  If  you  do  not  hold  on  to  me  more  tightly, 
Sister  Ann,  you  will  be  thrown  off, "  said  Master 
Joseph,  putting  back  his  right  hand  to  steady  her. 
And  Mistress  Ann  was  compelled  to  lock  her  arms 
around  him,  or  take  the  chance  of  serious  injury 
from  being  dashed  to  the  rough  highway.  The 
young  man  would  have  liked  to  relieve  his  feelings 
by  a  hearty  burst  of  laughter,  as  he  felt  her  arms 
embracing  him  so  warmly,  but  of  course  he  dared 
not. 

They  soon  came  near  the  main  road,  running 
due  north  and  south,  and  which  it  was  necessary 
to  take,  as  it  led  directly  down  to  Salem.  Sweet- 
briar  knew  that  road  well — and  that  he  never 
stopped  when  once  turned  to  the  south  on  it, 
short  of  a  six  mile  ride.  He  remembered  his 
recent  victorious  struggle  at  the  Forks,  and  now 


324  Dulcibel. 

resolved  upon  another  battle.  All  of  Master 
Putnam's  efforts — or  what  seemed  so — could  not 
get  him  headed  southward  on  that  road.  In  truth, 
burdened  as  he  was,  the  young  man  really  could 
not  do  it,  without  incurring  too  much  risk  to  the 
lady  behind  him.  Those  who  have  ever  had  such 
a  battle  with  a  wilful,  mettlesome  horse,  know  that 
it  often  requires  the  utmost  patience  and  deter 
mination  on  the  part  of  his  rider,  to  come  out 
victorious.  The  best  plan — the  writer  speaks 
from  some  experience — is  to  pull  the  animal  round 
in  a  circle  until  his  brain  becomes  confused,  and 
then  start  him  off  in  the  right  direction. 

But  Sweetbriar  evidently  had  a  better  brain  than 
usual,  for  when  the  whirl  came  to  an  end,  it 
always  found  his  pointing  like  the  magnetic  needle 
to  the  north.  It  had  been  Master  Joseph's  plan 
to  pretend  a  good  deal  of  earnestness  in  the  struggle 
which  he  was  certain  would  come  in  this  place; 
but  he  was  pleased  to  find  that  there  was  no  need 
of  any  pretence  in  the  matter.  The  horse,  under 
the  circumstances,  the  young  man  having  a  lady's 
safety  to  consult,  was  the  master.  Repeated 
trials  only  proved  it.  Whenever  the  fierce,  final 
tug  of  war  came,  Mistress  Ann's  safety  had  to  be 
consulted,  and  the  horse  had  his  own  way.  So, 


Master  Joseph  and  Mistress  Ann.  325 

as  the  result  Sweetbriar  started  off  in  a  sharp  canter 
up,  instead  of  down,  the  road. 

"Take  me  home  then,"  said  his  sister-in-law — 
"if  you  will  not  take  me  to  Salem." 

"If  I  will  not,"  repeated  Master  Joseph.  "I 
give  you  my  honest  word,  Sister  Ann,  that  I  could 
not  make  this  horse  go  down  the  road,  with  us  two 
on  his  back,  if  I  stayed  here  all  the  afternoon  try 
ing.  I  should  think  you  must  have  seen  that." 

"No   matter.     Take   me   home." 

"  Besides,  we  could  not  get  to  Salem  before  four 
o'clock  now,  if  Sweetbriar  went  his  best  and 
prettiest." 

"I   give   it   up.     Let   us   turn   and   go   home." 

"If  we  turn  and  go  back  the  way  we  came,  I 
do  not  think  I  shall  be  able  to  get  this  self-willed 
animal  past  my  own  gate." 

"Well,  what  do  you  mean  to  do  ?"  said  the  lady 
bitterly.  "Ride  on  up  to  Topsfield  ?" 

Master  Joseph  laughed.  "No — there  is  a  road 
strikes  off  towards  your  house  a  short  distance 
above  here,  and  I  think  I  can  get  you  home  by  it, 
without  any  further  trouble." 

"Very  well — get  me  home  as  soon  as  you  can. 
I  do  not  feel  like  any  further  riding,  or  much  more 
talking." 


326  Dulcibel. 

"Of  course  it  is  very  aggravating,"  replied  Mas 
ter  Putnam  soothingly,  "but  then  you  know  as 
Master  Parris  says,  that  all  these  earthly  disappoint 
ments  are  our  most  valuable  experiences — teaching 
us  not  to  set  our  hopes  upon  worldly  things,  but 
upon  those  of  a  more  enduring  and  satisfying 
character. 

His  sister-in-law's  face,  that  he  could  not  see, 
she  being  behind  him,  wore  a  look  as  she  listened 
to  this,  which  could  be  hardly  called  evangelical. 

"You  wished  very  much  I  know  to  go  this  after 
noon  to  Salem,"  continued  Master  Joseph,  in  the 
same  sermonizing  tone;  "but  doubtless  your  wish 
has  been  overruled  for  good.  I  think,  as  a  mem 
ber  of  church,  you  should  be  willing  to  acquiesce 
patiently  in  the  singular  turn  that  affairs  have 
taken,  and  console  yourself  with  the  thought  that 
you  have  been  innocently  riding  these  peaceful 
roads  instead  of  being  in  Salem,  doing  perchance 
an  infinite  deal  of  mischief. " 

"No  doubt  what  you  are  saying  seems  to  you 
very  wise  and  edifying,  Joseph  Putnam,  but  I  have 
a  bad  headache,  and  do  not  care  to  converse  any 
further." 

"But  you  must  admit  that  your  projected  visit 
has  been  frustrated  in  a  very  singular,  if  not  remark- 


Master  Joseph  and  Mistress  Ann.  327 

able  manner  ?"  Master  Joseph  knew  that  he  had 
her  now  at  an  advantage;  she  was  compelled  to 
listen  to  everything  he  chose  to  say.  His  saddle 
was  even  better  in  that  respect  than  the  minister's 
pulpit — you  might  leave  a  church,  but  she  could 
not  leave  the  horse. 

"I  do  not  see  anything  very  miraculous,  brother 
Joseph,  in  a  young  man  like  you  having  a  self- 
willed  and  unprincipled  horse.  In  truth,  the 
wonder  would  be  if  you  had  a  decent  and 
well-governed  animal,"  replied  his  sister-in-law 
wrathfully. 

The  young  man  smiled  at  the  retort,  but  she 
could  not  see  the  gleam  of  sunshine  as  it  passed 
rapidly  over  his  face;  lingering  a  moment  in  the 
soft  depths  of  his  sweet  blue  eyes.  There  was  no 
smile  however  in  his  voice,  but  the  previous 
solemnity,  as  he  continued:— 

"And  yet  if  Balaam's  ass  could  see  the  angel  of 
the  Lord,  with  his  drawn-sword,  standing  in  the 
way,  and  barring  his  further  progress  in  wrong 
doing,  why  might  not  this  horse — -who  is  much 

more  intelligent  than  an  ass — have  seen  a  similar 

•  •      555 
vision  r 

The  young  man  had  begun  this  speech  somewhat 
in  sport;  but  as  he  ended  it,  the  assumed  tone  of 


328  Dulcibel. 

solemnity  had  passed  into  one  of  real  earnestness. 
For,  as  he  asked  himself,  "Why  should  it  not  be  ? 
This  woman  with  him  was  bound  on  a  wicked 
errand.  Why  should  not  the  angel  ot  the  Lord 
stand  in  her  way  also — and  the  horse  see  him,  even 
if  his  riders  did  not?" 

Mistress  Putnam  made  no  answer.  Perhaps 
now  that  the  young  man  was  really  in  earnest,  what 
he  said  made  some  impression  upon  her,  but,  more 
probably  it  did  not. 

He,  too,  relapsed  into  silence.  It  seemed  to  him 
a  good  place  to  stop  his  preaching,  and  let  his 
sister-in-law  think  over  what  he  had  said. 

"Thank  Heaven  we  are  here  at  last!"  said  the 
baffled  woman,  as  they  rode  up  to  the  horse-block 
at  her  own  door.  Sweetbriar  stood  very  quiet,  and 
she  stepped  on  the  block,  Master  Joseph  keeping 
his  seat. 

"Will  you  dismount  and  stay  to  supper,  brother 
Joseph  ?"  said  Mistress  Ann,  in  a  soft  purring 
tone.  Master  Joseph  fairly  started  with  his  sur 
prise,  and  looked  steadily  into  her  dark,  inscrutable 
eyes — eyes  like  Jael's  as  she  gazed  upon  sleeping 
Sisera. 

"No,  I  thank  you — I  expect  a  friend  to  supper. 
I  hope  brother  Thomas  heard  some  good  news  at 


Master  Joseph  and  Mistress  Ann.  329 

Ipswich.  Come  and  see  us  when  you  feel  like  it." 
And  he  rode  off. 

As  he  told  his  wife  afterwards,  he  would  not  have 
taken  supper  with  his  sister  Ann  that  evening  as  he 
valued  his  life. 

And  yet  perhaps  it  was  all  imagination — and  he 
did  not  see  that  thing  lurking  in  the  depths  of  his 
sister-in-law's  cold,  unfathomable  eyes  that  he 
thought  he  did.  And  yet  her  testimony  against 
Rebecca  Nurse,  reads  to  us,  even  at  this  late  day, 
with  all  the  charity  that  we  are  disposed  to  exercise 
towards  things  so  long  past,  as  cold-blooded,  delib 
erate  murder. 


CHAPTER  XLV. 
The  Two  Plotters  Congratulate  Each  Other. 

When  Master  Joseph  arrived  home,  he  told  his 
wife  of  what  a  perverse  course  things  had  taken, 
amid  his  own  and  her  frequent  laughter.  And 
then  he  could  do  nothing  else  than  walk  up  and 
down  impatiently,  glancing  at  frequent  intervals 
towards  the  road,  to  see  if  anybody  were  coming. 

In  the  course  of  an  hour  or  so,  nobody  appearing 
and  Sweetbriar  being  sweetened  up  again  by  a  good 
feed,  he  ordered  the  horse  brought  out.  Then  he 
was  persuaded  by  his  wife  to  recall  the  order,  and 
wait  patiently  till  sundown. 

"What  impatient  creatures  you  men  are!" 
said  Mistress  Elizabeth  with  feminine  superiority. 
"  Doubtless  he  will  be  along.  Give  him  sufficient 
time.  Now,  do  not  worry,  husband  mine,  but  take 
things  patiently." 

So  Master  Joseph  was  induced  to  control  his 
restlessness  and  just  as  soon  as  he  could  have  been 
reasonably  expected,  Master  Raymond  was  seen 
riding  up  the  lane  at  a  light  canter. 

"Hurra!"  cried  Master  Joseph,  running  to  meet 
him.  "And  is  it  all  over?" 

33° 


Plotters  Congratulate  Each  Other.    331 

"We  have  smitten  Ammon,  hip  and  thigh,  from 
Aroer  even  till  thou  come  to  Minnith!"  answered 
Master  Raymond,  laughing.  "It  was  you  that 
kept  the  she-wolf  away,  I  know.  How  did  you  do 
it?" 

"Come  in  and  I  will  tell  you  all  about  it.  And 
I  want  to  hear  how  all  went  off  in  Salem. " 

After  a  couple  of  hours'  conversation,  broken 
frequently  by  irresponsible  bursts  of  laughter,  the 
young  men  were  mutually  enlightened;  and  com 
plimented  each  other  upon  the  success  with  which 
they  had  worked  out  their  respective  schemes — 
while  young  Mistress  Elizabeth  complimented 
them  both,  thinking  honestly  in  her  innocent 
heart  that  two  such  wonderful  young  men  certainly 
had  never  before  existed. 

"  How  I  should  like  to  have  seen  you  astonishing 
old  Squire  Hathorne,"  said  Master  Joseph. 

"I  am  afraid  you  would  have  spoiled  all  by 
laughing,"  said  his  young  wife.  "You  know  you 
never  can  control  your  merriment,  Joseph. " 

"  I  cannot  ?  You  should  have  seen  me  preach 
ing  to  sister  Ann  this  afternoon.  I  kept  my  face 
all  the  time  as  sober  as  a  judge's.  You  know  she 
had  to  take  it  all  quietly — she  could  not  even  run 
away  from  it. " 


332  Dulcibel. 

"I  would  have  given  one  of  your  five-pound 
Massachusetts  notes  to  see  it,"  said  Master  Ray 
mond.  "And  five  pounds  more  to  see  your 
brother  Thomas  stamping  up  and  down  the  bar 
room  of  the  'Crown  and  Anchor,'  waiting  for  that 
Ipswich  man  to  meet  him." 

"I  was  very  careful  all  through  not  to  tell  a 
direct  falsehood,"  said  Master  Joseph;  "it  is  bad 
enough  to  deceive  people,  without  being  guilty  of 
downright  lying." 

"Oh,  of  course,"  replied  Master  Raymond. 
"  I  do  not  know  that  I  told  a  downright  lie  either, 
alPday;  although  I  must  admit  that  I  acted  a 
pretty  big  one.  But  you  must  deal  with  fools 
according  to  their  folly — you  know  we  have  Scrip 
ture  for  that." 

"I  do  not  think  I  would  have  done  it  merely  to 
save  myself,"  said  Master  Joseph,  evidently  a 
little  conscience-smitten.  "But  to  save  you,  my 
friend,  that  seems  to  be  different." 

"And  Dulcibel,"  added  Master  Raymond.  " If 
I  were  imprisoned  what  would  become  of  her?" 

"Yes,  I  am  glad  I  did  it,"  responded  his  friend, 
regaining  his  confidence.  "'I  have  really  hurt 
neither  brother  Thomas  nor  Sister  Ann;  on  the 
contrary,  I  have  prevented  them  from  doing 


Plotters  Congratulate  Each  Other.  333 

a  great  wrong.  I  am  willing  to  answer  for  this 
day's  work  at  the  Last  Day — and  I  feel  certain  that 
then  at  least,  both  of  them  will  thank  me  for  it." 

"I  have  no  doubt  of  it,"  said  Mistress  Elizabeth 
who  herself  brought  up  in  the  rigid  Puritan  school, 
had  felt  the  same  misgivings  as  her  husband,  but 
whose  scruples  were  also  removed  by  this  last  con 
sideration. 

As  for  Master  Raymond,  he,  being  more  a  man 
of  the  world,  had  felt  no  scruples  at  playing  such  a 
deceitful  part.  I  am  afraid,  that  to  save  Dulcibel, 
he  would  not  have  scrupled  at  open  and  downright 
lying.  Not  that  he  had  not  all  the  sensitiveness  of 
an  honorable  man  as  to  his  word;  but  because  he 
looked  upon  the  whole  affair  as  a  piece  of  malicious 
wickedness,  in  defiance  of  all  just  law,  and  which 
every  true-hearted  man  was  bound  to  oppose  and 
defeat  by  all  means  allowable  in  open  or  secret 
warfare. 

"I  suppose  you  go  back  to  Boston  to  morrow  ?" 
said  his  host,  as  they  were  about  to  separate  for  the 
night. 

"Yes,  immediately  after  breakfast.  This  affair 
is  a  warning  to  me,  to  push  my  plans  to  a  con 
summation  as  soon  as  possible.  I  think  I  know 
what  their  next  move  will  be  —a  shrewd  man  once 


334  Dulcibel. 

said,  just  think  what  is  the  wisest  thing  for  your 
enemies  to  do,  and  provide  against  that." 

"What  is  it?" 

"Remove  the  Governor." 

"Why,  I  understood  he  was  a  mere  puppet  in 
the  hands  of  the  two  Mathers." 

"He  would  be  perhaps;  but  there  is  a  Lady 
Phips." 

"Ah!  'the  gray  mare  is  the  better  horse,'  is  she, 
as  it  is  over  at  brother  Thomas's  ?" 

"Yes,  I  think  so.  Now  mark  my  prediction, 
friend  Joseph;  the  first  blow  will  be  struck  at  Lady 
Mary.  If  Sir  William  resists,  as  I  feel  certain  that 
he  will — for  he  is,  if  not  well  educated,  a  thoroughly 
manly  man— then  he  will  be  ousted  from  his  posi 
tion.  You  will  note  that  it  has  been  the  game  all 
through  to  strike  at  any  one,  man  or  woman,  who 
came  between  these  vampires  and  their  prey.  I 
know  of  only  one  exception." 

"Ah,    who    is    that?" 

"Yourself." 

Master  Joseph  smiled  grimly.  "They  value 
their  own  lives  very  highly,  friend  Raymond;  and 
know  that  to  arrest  me  would  be  no  child's  play. 
Besides,  Sweetbriar  is  never  long  unsaddled;  and 
he  is  the  fastest  horse  in  Salem." 


Plotters  Congratulate  Each  Other.  335 

"Yes,  and  to  add  to  all  that,  you  are  a  Putnam; 
and  your  wife  is  closely  connected  with  Squire 
Hathorne." 

" There  may  be  something  in  that,"  said  his 
friend. 

"Yes,  even  Mistress  Ann  has  her  limits,  which 
her  husband — submissive  in  so  many  things — will 
not  allow  her  to  pass.  But  we  are  both  a  little 
tired,  after  such  an  eventful  day.  Good  night!" 


CHAPTER  XLVI. 
Mistress  Ann's  Opinion  of  the  Matter. 

While  the  foregoing  conversation  was  taking 
place,  one  of  a  very  different  kind  was  passing 
between  Mistress  Ann  and  her  worthy  husband. 
He  had  gathered  up  all  the  particulars  he  could  of 
the  examination  and  had  brought  them  home  to  his 
wife  for  her  instruction. 

After  listening  to  all  that  he  had  to  tell,  with  at 
least  outward  calmness,  she  said  bitterly:  "The 
whole  thing  was  a  trick,  you  see,  to  keep  you  and 
me  away  from  Salem." 

"  Do  you  think  so  ?  Do  you  think  then,  that  no 
man  really  wanted  to  see  me  at  Ipswich  ?" 

"It  is  as  plain  as  the  nose  on  your  face,"  replied 
his  wife.  "You  were  to  be  decoyed  off  to  Ips 
wich,  my  horse  sent  out  of  the  way,  and  then 
Joseph's  madcap  horse  offered  to  me,  they  know 
ing  well  that  the  worthless  creature  would  not 
behave  himself  with  any  woman  on  his  back." 

"Oh,  pshaw,  Ann;  you  do  not  mean  that  my 
simple-hearted  brother,  Joseph  Putnam,  ever 
planned  and  carried  out  a  subtle  scheme  of  that 
kind  ?"  said  honest  Thomas,  with  an  older  brother's 

336 


Ann's  Opinion  of  the  Matter.    337 

undervaluation  of  the  capabilities  of  a  mere  boy 
like  Joseph. 

"  I  do  not  say  that  Joseph  thougnt  it  all  out,  for 
very  probably  he  did  not;  doubtless  that  Master 
Raymond  put  him  up  to  it — for  he  seems  cunning 
and  unprincipled  enough  for  anything,  judging, 
by  what  you  have  told  me  of  his  ridiculous  doings." 

"You  may  call  them  ridiculous,  Ann;  but  they 
impressed  everybody  very  much  indeed.  Dr. 
Griggs,  told  me  that  he  had  no  doubt  whatever  that 
an  'evil  hand'  was  on  him." 

"Dr.  Griggs  is  an  old  simpleton,"  said  his  wife 
crossly. 

"And  even  Squire  Hathorne  says  that  he  never 
saw  a  stronger  case  of  spectral  persecution.  Why, 
when  one  of  the  young  men  thrust  the  point  of  his 
rapier  at  the  yellow  bird,  some  of  its  feathers  were 
cut  off  and  came  fluttering  to  the  ground.  Squire 
Hathorne  says  he  never  saw  anything  more  won 
derful." 

"Nonsense — it    is    all    trickery!" 

"Trickery  ?  Why,  my  dear  wife,  the  Squire  has 
the  feathers! — and  he  means  to  send  them  at  once 
to  Master  Cotton  Mather  by  a  special  messenger, 
to  confute  all  the  scoffers  and  unbelievers  in  Bos 
ton  and  Plymouth?" 

22 


338  Dulcibel. 

A  scornful  reply  was  at  the  end  of  his  wife's 
tongue  but,  on  second  thought,  she  did  not  allow 
it  to  get  any  farther.  Suppose  that  she  did  con 
vince  her  husband  and  Squire  Hathorne  that  they 
had  been  grossly  deceived  and  imposed  upon — and 
that  Master  Raymond's  apparent  afflictions  and 
spectral  appearance  were  the  result  of  skilful  jug 
gling,  what  then  ?  Would  their  enlightenment  stop 
there  ?  How  about  the  pins  that  the  girls  had 
concealed  around  their  necks,  and  taken  up  with 
their  mouths  ?  How  about  Mary  Walcot  secretly 
biting  herself,  and  then  screaming  out  that  good 
Rebecca  Nurse  had  bitten  her  ?  How  about  the 
little  prints  on  the  arms  of  the  "afflicted  girls," 
which  they  allowed  were  made  by  the  teeth  of 
little  Dorcas  Good,  that  child  not  five  years  old; 
and  which  Mistress  Ann  knew  were  made  by  the 
girls  themselves  ?  How  about  the  bites  and  streaks 
and  bruises  which  she  herself  had  shown  as  the 
visible  proof  that  the  spectre  of  good  Rebecca 
Nurse,  then  lying  in  jail,  was  biting  her  and  beating 
her  with  her  chains  ?  For  Edward  Putnam 
had  sworn:  "I  saw  the  marks  both  of  bite  and 
chains." 

Perhaps  is  was  safer  to  let  Master  Raymond's 
juggling  go  unexposed,  considering  that  she  herself 


Ann's  Opinion  of  the  Matter.    339 

and  the  "afflicted  girls"  had  done  so  very  much  of 
it. 

Therefore  she  said,  "I  have  no  faith  in  Master 
Raymond  nevertheless;  no  more  than  Moses  had 
in  King  Pharaoh's  sorcerers,  when  they  did  the 
very  same  miracles  before  the  king  that  he  had 
done.  I  believe  him  now  to  be  a  cunning  and  a 
very  bad  young  man,  and  I  think  if  I  had  been  on 
the  spot,  instead  of  his  being  at  this  very  moment 
as  I  have  very  little  doubt,  over  at  brother's, 
where  fhey  are  congratulating  each  otheronthe  suc 
cess  of  their  unprincipled  plans,  Master  Raymond 
would  now  be  lying  in  Salem  jail." 

"  Probably  you  are  correct,  my  dear,"  responded 
her  husband  meekly;  "and  I  think  it  not  unlikely 
that  Master  Raymond  may  have  thought  the  same, 
and  planned  to  keep  you  away — but  it  was  evident 
to  me,  that  if  the  '  afflicted  girls'  had  taken  one  side 
or  the  other  in  the  matter,  it  would  not  have  been 
yours.  Why,  even  our  own  daughter  Ann,  was 
laughing  and  joking  with  him  when  I  entered  the 
court  room." 

"Yes,"  said  his  wife  disdainfully — that  is  girl- 
nature,  all  over  the  earth!  Just  put  a  handsome 
young  man  before  them,  who  has  seen  the  world, 
and  is  full  of  his  smiles  and  flatteries  and  cajole- 


340  Dulcibel. 

ments,  and  the  wisest  of  women  can  do  nothing 
with  them.  But  the  cold  years  bring  them  out  of 
that!"  she  added  bitterly.  "They  find  what  they 
call  love,  is  a  folly  and  a  snare." 

Her  husband  looked  out  of  the  window  into  the 
dark  night,  and  made  no  reply  to  this  outburst. 
He  had  always  loved  his  wife,  and  he  thought, 
when  he  married  her,  that  she  loved  him — although 
he  was  an  excellent  match,  so  far  as  property  and 
family  were  concerned.  Still  she  would  occasion 
ally  talk  in  this  way;  and  he  hoped  and  trusted 
that  it  did  not  mean  much. 

"I  think  myself,"  he  said  at  length,  "that  it  is 
quite  as  much  the  pretty  gifts  he  has  made  them, 
and  has  promised  to  send  them  from  England,  as 
his  handsome  face  and  pleasant  manners." 

"Oh,  of  course,  it  all  goes  together.  They  are  a 
set  of  mere  giggling  girls;  and  that  is  all  you  can 
make  of  them.  And  our  daughter  Ann  is  as  bad 
as  any  of  the  lot.  I  wish  she  did  not  take  so  much 
after  your  family,  Thomas." 

This  roused  her  husband  a  little.  "I  am  sure, 
Ann,  that  our  family  are  much  stronger  and  health 
ier  than  your  own  are.  And  as  to  Ann's  being 
like  the  other  girls,  I  wish  she  was.  She  is  about 
the  only  delicate  and  nervous  one  among  them." 

*  o 


Ann's  Opinion  of  the  Matter.    341 

"Well,  Thomas,  if  you  have  got  at  last  upon  that 
matter  of  the  superiority  of  the  Putnams  to  every 
body  else  in  the  Province,  I  think  I  shall  go  to 
bed,"  retorted  his  wife.  "That  is  the  only  thing 
that  you  are  thoroughly  unreasonable  about.  But 
I  do  not  think  you  ever  had  a  single  minister,  or 
any  learned  scholar,  in  your  family,  or  ever  owned 
a  whole  island,  in  the  Merrimack  river  as  my 
family,  the  Harmons,  always  have  done,  since  the 
country  was  first  settled — and  probably  always 
shall,  for  the  next  five  hundred  years." 

To  this  Thomas  Putnam  had  no  answer.  He 
knew  well  that  he  had  no  minister  and  no  island 
in  his  family — and  those  two  things,  in  his  wife's 
estimation,  were  things  that  no  family  of  any 
reputation  should  be  without.  He  had  not  brought 
on  the  discussion,  although  his  wife  had  accused 
him  of  so  doing,  and  had  only  asserted  what  he 
thought  the  truth  in  stating  that  the  Putnams  were 
the  stronger  and  sturdier  race. 

"  I  do  not  wish  to  hurt  your  feelings,  Thomas,  in 
reminding  you  of  these  things,"  continued  his  wife, 
finding  he  was  not  intending  to  reply;  "I  will 
admit  that  your  family  is  a  very  reputable  and 
worthy  one,  even  if  it  is  not  especially  gifted  with 
intellect  like  the  Harmons,  else  you  may  be  sure 


342  Dulcibel. 


that  I  should  not  have  married  into  it.  But  I  have 
a  headache,  and  do  not  wish  to  continue  this  dis 
cussion  any  longer,  as  it  is  unpleasant  to  me,  and 
besides  in  very  bad  taste." 

And  so,  taking  the  hint,  Master  Putnam,  like  a 
dutiful  husband,  who  really  loved  his  somewhat 
peevish  and  fretful  wife,  acknowledged  by  his 
silence  in  the  future  that  the  Harmons  were  much 
superior  to  any  family  that  could  not  boast  of  pos 
sessing  a  minister  and  an  island;  the  latter  for  five 
hundred  years! 


CHAPTER  XLVII. 
Master  Raymond  Visits  Lady  Mary. 

When  Master  Raymond  returned  to  Boston, 
he  found  that  an  important  event  had  taken  place 
in  his  absence.  Captain  Alden  and  Master 
Philip  English  and  his  wife,  had  all  escaped  from 
prison,  and  were  nowhere  to  be  found.  How 
Captain  Alden  had  managed  things  with  the  jailer 
the  young  man  was  not  able  to  ascertain — probably 
however,  by  a  liberal  use  of  money.  As  for  Master 
English  and  his  wife,  they  were,  as  I  have  already 
said,  at  liberty  in  the  day  time,  under  heavy  bonds; 
and  had  nothing  to  do  but  walk  off  sometime  be 
tween  sunrise  and  sundown.  As  Master  English's 
ship,  "The  Porcupine,"  had  been  lying  for  a  week 
or  two  in  Boston  harbor,  and  left  with  a  brisk 
northwest  wind  early  in  the  morning  of  the  day 
when  they  were  reported  missing,  it  was  not  dif 
ficult  for  anyone  to  surmise  as  to  their  mode  of 
escape.  As  to  Captain  Alden,  he  might  or  might 
not  have  gone  with  them. 

As  was  natural,  there  was  a  good  deal  of  right 
eous  indignation  expressed  by  all  in  authority. 
The  jailer  was  reprimanded  for  his  carelessness  in 

343 


344  Dulcibel. 

the  case  of  Captain  Alden,  and  warned  that  if 
another  prisoner  escaped,  hs  would  forfeit  his, 
of  late,  very  profitable  position.  And  the  large 
properties  of  both  gentlemen  were  attached  and 
held  as  being  subject  to  confiscation. 

But  while  the  magistrates  and  officials  usually 
were  in  earnest  in  these  proceedings,  it  was  gener 
ally  believed  that  the  Governor,  influenced  by 
Lady  Mary,  had  secretly  favored  the  escaping 
parties.  The  two  ministers  of  South  Church- 
Masters  Willard  and  Moody — were  also  known  to 
have  frequently  visited  the  Captain  and  Master 
English  in  their  confinement,  and  to  have  expressed 
themselves  very  freely  in  public,  relative  to  the 
absurdity  of  the  charges  which  had  been  made 
against  them.  Master  Moody  had  even  gone  so 
far  as  to  preach  a  sermon  on  the  text,  'When  they 
persecute  you  in  this  city,  flee  ye  into  another,' 
which  was  supposed  by  many  to  have  a  direct 
bearing  on  the  case  of  the  accused.  And  it  is 
certain  that  soon  afterwards,  the  Reverend  Master 
Moody  found  it  expedient  to  resign  his  position  in 
South  Church  and  go  back  to  his  old  home  in 
Portsmouth. 

Anxious  to  learn  the  true  inwardness  of  all  this 
matter,  Master  Raymond  called  a  few  days  after 


Raymond  Visits  Lady  Mary.     345 

his  return  to  see  Lady  Mary.  Upon  sending  in  his 
name,  a  maid  immediately  appeared,  and  he  was 
taken  as  before  to  the  boudoir  where  he  found  her 
ladyship  eagerly  awaiting  him. 

"And  so  you  are  safely  out  of  the  lion's  den, 
Master  Raymond,"  said  she,  laughing.  "I 
heard  you  had  passed  through  securely." 

The  young  man  smiled.  "Yes,  thanks  to 
Providence,  and  to  a  good  friend  of  mine  in 
Salem." 

"Tell  me  all  about  it,"  said  the  lady.  "I  have 
had  the  magisterial  account  already,  and  now 
wish  to  have  yours." 

"Will  your  ladyship  pardon  me  if  I  ask  a  ques 
tion  first  ?  I  am  so  anxious  to  hear  about  Mistress 
Dulcibel.  Have  you  seen  her  lately — and  is  she 
well?" 

"As  well  and  as  blooming  as  ever.  The 
keeper  and  his  wife  treat  her  very  kindly — and  I 
think  would  continue  to  do  so — even  if  the  supply 
of  British  gold  pieces  were  to  fail.  By  the  way, 
she  might  be  on  the  high  seas  now — or  rather  in 

o  o 

New  York — if  she  had  so  chosen." 

"I  wish  she  had.  Why  did  she  not  go  with 
them?" 

"Because   your   arrest   complicated   things   so. 


346  Dulcibel. 

She  would  not  go  and  leave  you  in  the  hands  of  the 
Philistines." 

"Oh,  that  was  foolish." 

"  I  think  so,  too;  but  I  do  not  think  that  you  are 
exactly  the  person  to  say  so,"  responded  the  lady, 
a  little  offended  at  what  seemed  a  want  of  appre 
ciation  of  the  sacrifice  that  Dulcibel  had  made  on 
his  account. 

But  Master  Raymond  appeared  not  to  notice 
the  rebuke.  He  simply  added:  "If  I  could  have 
been  there  to  counsel  her,  I  would  have  convinced 
her  that  I  was  in  no  serious  danger — for,  even  if 
imprisoned,  I  do  not  think  there  is  a  jail  in  the 
Province  that  could  hold  me." 

"Well,  there  was  a  difficulty  with  the  Keeper 
also — for  she  had  given  her  word,  you  know,  not 
to  escape,  when  she  was  taken  into  his  house." 

"But  Captain  Alden  had  also  given  his  word. 
How  did  he  manage  it?" 

"I  do  not  know,"  replied  the  lady.  "But,  to  a 
hint  dropped  by  Dulcibel,  the  jailer  shook  his 
head  resolutely,  and  said  that  no  money  would 
tempt  him." 

"The  difficulty  in  her  case  then  remains  the 
same  as  ever,"  said  the  young  man  thoughtfully, 
and  a  little  gloomily.  "She  might  go  into  the 


Raymond  Visits  Lady  Mary.     347 

prison.  But  that  would  be  to  give  warning  that 
she  had  planned  to  escape.  Besides,  it  is  such 
a  vile  place,  that  I  hate  the  idea  of  her  passing  a 
single  night  in  one  of  its  sickening  cells." 

"  Perhaps  I  can  wring  a  pardon  out  of  Sir  Wil 
liam,"  said  the  lady  musing. 

"Oh,  Lady  Mary,  if  you  only  could,  we  should 
both  forever  worship  you!" 

The  lady  smiled  at  the  young  man's  impassioned 
language  and  manner — he  looked  as  if  he  would 
throw  himself  at  her  feet. 

"  I  should  be  too  glad  to  do  it.  But  Sir  William 
just  now  is  more  rigid  than  ever.  He  had  a  call 
yesterday  from  his  pastor,  Master  Cotton  Mather, 
and  a  long  talk  from  him  about  the  witches. 
Master  Mather,  it  seems,  has  had  further  evidence 
and  of  the  most  convincing  character,  of  the  reality 
of  these  spectral  appearances." 

" Indeed!"  said  Master  Raymond  showing  great 
interest  for  he  had  an  idea  of  what  was  coming. 
"Yes,  in  a  recent  examination  at  Salem  before 
Squire  Hathorne,  a  young  man  struck  with  his 
sword  at  a  spectral  yellow  bird  which  was  torment 
ing  an  afflicted  person;  and  several  small  yellow 
feathers  were  cut  off  by  the  thrust,  and  floated 
down  to  the  floor.  Squire  Hathorne  writes  to 


348  Dulcibel. 

Master  Mather  that  he  would  not  have  believed 
it,  if  he  had  not  seen  it;  but,  as  it  was,  he  would  be 
willing  to  take  his  oath  before  any  Court  in 
Christendom,  that  this  wonderful  thing  really 
occurred." 

Master  Raymond  could  not  help  laughing. 

"  I  see  you  have  no  more  faith  in  the  story  than 
I  have,"  continued  Lady  Mary.  "But  it  had  a 
great  effect  upon  Sir  William,  coming  from  a  man 
of  such  wonderful  learning  and  wisdom  as  Master 
Cotton  Mather.  Especially  as  he  said  that  he 
had  seen  the  yellow  feathers  himself;  which  had 
since  been  sent  to  him  by  Squire  Hathorne,  and 
which  had  a  singular  smell  of  sulphur  about  them. " 

The  young  man  broke  into  a  heartier  laugh  than 
before.  Then  he  said  scornfully,  "  It  seems  to  me 
that  no  amount  of  learning,  however  great,  can 
make  a  sensible  man  out  of  a  fool." 

"Why,  you  know  something  about  this  then  ? 
Did  it  happen  while  you  wTere  in  Salem  ? 

"I  know  everything  about  it,"  said  Master  Ray 
mond,  "  I  am  the  very  man  that  worked  the  mira 
cle."  And  he  proceeded  to  give  Lady  Mary  a 
detailed  account  of  the  whole  affair,  substantially 
as  it  is  known  to  the  reader. 

"By  the  way,   as  to  the  feathers   smelling  of 


Raymond  Visits  Lady  Mary.     349 

sulphur,"  concluded  the  young  man,  "I  think 
that  it  is  very  probable,  inasmuch  as  I  observed 
the  jailer's  wife  that  very  morning  giving  the 
younger  chickens  powdered  brimstone  to  cure 
them  of  the  pip." 

"I  think  you  are  a  marvelously  clever  young 
man,"  was  the  lady's  first  remark  as  he  concluded 
his  account. 

"Thank  your  ladyship!"  replied  Master  Ray 
mond  smiling.  "  I  hope  I  shall  always  act  so  as  to 
deserve  such  a  good  opinion." 

"I  would  have  given  my  gold  cup — which  the 
Duke  of  Albemarle  gave  me — to  have  been  there; 
especially  when  the  yellow  bird's  feathers  came 
floating  down  to  Squire  Hathorne's  reverential 
amazement,"  said  Lady  Mary,  laughing  heartily. 
"You  must  come  up  here  to-morrow  morning 
at  noon.  Master  Mather  is  to  bring  his  feathers 
to  show  the  Governor,  and  to  astound  the  Gover 
nor's  skeptical  wife.  You  are  not  afraid  to  come, 
are  you  ?" 

"I  shall  enjoy  it  very  much — that  is,  if  the  Gov 
ernor  will  promise  that  I  shall  not  suffer  for  my 
disclosures.  I  am  free  now,  and  I  do  not  wish  to 
be  arrested  again." 

"  Oh,  I  will  see  to  that.     The  Governor  will  be 


350  Dulcibel. 

so  curious  to  hear  your  story,  that  he  will  promise 
all  that  you  desire  as  to  your  safety.  Besides,  he 
will  not  be  sorry  to  take  down  Master  Mather  a 
little;  these  Puritan  ministers  presume  on  their 
vocation  too  much.  They  all  think  they  are  per 
fectly  capable  of  governing  not  only  Provinces,  but 
Kingdoms;  while  the  whole  history  of  the  world 
proves  their  utter  incapacity  to  govern  even  a 
village  wisely. " 

"That  is  true  as  the  gospel,  Lady  Mary.  But 
one  thing  I  have  always  noticed.  That  while 
every  minister  thinks  this,  he  would  himself  far 
rather  be  governed  even  by  one  of  the  world's 
people,  than  by  a  minister  of  any  other  belief  than 
his  own.  So  you  see  they  really  do  think  the  same 
as  we  do  about  it;  only  they  do  not  always  know 
it." 

"You  are  a  bright  young  man,"  Lady  Mary 
replied  pleasantly,  "and  I  think  almost  good 
enough  to  wear  such  a  sweet  rose  next  your  heart 
as  Mistress  Dulcibel." 


CHAPTER  XL VIII. 
Captain   Tolley's  Propositions. 

That  evening  as  Master  Raymond  was  standing 
in  the  bar-room  of  the  Red  Lion.,  Captain  Tolley 
came  in,  and  after  tossing  off  a  stout  glass  of  rum 
and  water,  went  out  again,  giving  the  young  Eng 
lishman  a  nod  and  the  agreed-upon-signal,  a 
smoothing  of  his  black  beard  with  the  left  hand. 
After  the  lapse  of  a  few  minutes,  Master  Ray 
mond  followed,  going  towards  the  wharves,  which 
in  the  evening  were  almost  deserted.  Arrived  at 
the  end  of  one  of  the  wharves,  he  found  the  Cap 
tain  of  the  Storm  King. 

"  So  you  got  out  of  the  clutches  of  those  Salem 
rascals  safely  ?"  said  the  Captain.  "I  was  afraid 
I  should  have  to  go  all  the  way  to  Salem  for  you. " 

"You  would  not  have  deserted  me  then,  Cap 
tain  ?" 

"That  is  not  the  kind  of  a  marlinespike  I  am," 
replied  the  Captain  quaintly.  "I'd  have  got  you 
out  of  Salem  jail,  unless  it  is  a  good  deal  stronger 
than  the  Boston  one." 

"Thank  you,  Captain,  but  I  am  glad  there  was 
ne  need  of  your  trying." 

351 


352  Dulcibel. 

"You  heard  of  course  that  Captain  Alden  was 
off,  and  Master  and  Mistress  English  ?" 

"Yes — and  very  glad  I  was  too." 

"Why  did  not  your  sweetheart  go  with  the 
Englishes  ?" 

"There  were  several  reasons — one,  a  rather 
foolish  one,  she  would  not  leave  me  in  prison. " 

"She  would  not?" 

"No." 

"D me!  Why  that  girl  is  fit  to  be  a  sailor's 

wife!  When  we  get  her  off  safely  I  intend  to  have 
her  as  the  figure-head  of  the  Storm  King. " 

"I  am  afraid  that  would  be  a  very  unhealthy 
position — she  might  catch  a  bad  cold,"  replied 
Master  Raymond. 

"Oh,  of  course  I  mean  in  wood,  painted  white 
with  red  cheeks,"  said  Captain  Tolley.  "It 
brings  good  luck  to  have  a  fine  woman  for  a  figure 
head — pleases  old  Nep,  you  know." 

"  But  we  must  get  her  ofF  first,"  rejoined  Master 
Raymond.  "Now  to  keep  out  of  that  hateful 
jail,  she  has  given  her  word  to  Keeper  Arnold  not  to 
escape.  You  know  she  cannot  break  her  word." 

"Of  course  not,"  replied  the  Captain;  "a  lady 
is  like  a  sailor,  she  cannot  go  back  on  her  prom 
ise." 


Captain  Tolley's  Propositions.   353 

"And  there  is  where  the  trouble  comes  in." 

"Buy  Keeper  Arnold  over." 

"  I  am  afraid  I  cannot — not  for  a  good  while  at 
least.  They  are  all  down  upon  him  for  Captain 
Alden's  escape.  They  might  give  him  a  terrible 
whipping  if  another  prisoner  got  off." 

The  Captain  shrugged  his  shoulders.  "Yes,  I 
saw  them  whip  some  Quakers  once.  It  was  not  a 
good  honest  lash,  but  something  the  hangman  had 
got  up  on  purpose,  and  which  cut  to  the  very  bone. 
I  have  seen  men  and  women  killed,  down  on  the 
Spanish  main,  but  I  never  saw  a  sight  like  that! 
Good,  harmless  men  and  women  too!  A  little 
touched  here,  you  know,"  and  the  Captain  tapped 
his  forehead  lightly  with  his  forefinger. 

"Yes — I  should  not  like  to  hear  that  Master 
Arnold  had  been  tortured  like  that  on  our  ac 
count." 

"Suppose  we  carry  her  off  some  night  by  force, 
she  having  no  hand  in  the  arrangements  ?  She 
can  even  refuse  to  go,  you  know,  if  she  pleases — 
we  will  handle  her  as  gently  as  a  little  bird,  and 
you  can  come  up  and  rescue  her,  if  you  choose, 
and  knock  down  two  or  three  of  us.  How  would 
that  do  ?  Half-a-dozen  of  the  Storm  King's  men 
could  easily  do  that.  Choose  a  night  with  a  brisk 


354  Dulcibel. 

nor 'wester,  and  we  would  be  past  the  castle's 
guns  before  the  sleepy  land-lubbers  had  their  eyes 
open." 

Master  Raymond  shook  his  head  dubiously. 
"  I  do  not  like  it — and  yet  I  suppose  it  must  do,  if 
nothing  better  can  be  found.  Of  course  if  we 
carry  her  off  bodily,  against  her  will,  it  would 
neither  be  a  breaking  of  her  pledge  nor  expose 
Keeper  Arnold  to  any  danger  of  after  punishment, 
though  he  might  perhaps  get  pretty  seriously  hurt 
in  resisting  us,  and  she  would  not  like  that  much." 

"I  suppose  then  we  must  wait  a  while  longer," 
said  the  Captain.  "I  am  ready  any  time  you  say 
the  word — only  be  careful  that  a  good  west  or 
a  nor 'west  wind  is  blowing.  When  once  out  on  the 
high  seas,  we  can  take  care  of  ourselves." 

"Many  French  privateers  out  there  ?" 

"Thick  as  blackberries.  But  they  are  of  no 
account.  Those  we  cannot  fight,  we  can  easily 
run  away  from.  There  is  no  craft  on  these  seas, 
that  can  overhaul  the  Storm  King!" 

With  a  hearty  shake  of  the  hand  the  two  parted, 
the  Captain  for  the  vessel  of  which  he  was  so 
proud;  Master  Raymond  for  his  room  in  the  Red 
Lion. 


CHAPTER  XLIX. 

Master  Raymond  Confounds  Master 
Cotton  Mather. 

The  next  day,  a  little  before  noon,  Master  Ray 
mond  knocked  at  the  door  of  the  Governor's 
Mansion,  and  was  at  once  conducted  to  Lady 
Mary's  boudoir.  "The  Reverend  Master  Mather 
is  already  with  the  Governor,"  said  her  ladyship, 
"and  I  expect  to  receive  a  summons  to  join  them 
every  moment."  And  in  fact  the  words  were 
hardly  out  of  her  mouth,  when  Sir  William's  private 
secretary,  Master  Josslyn,  appeared,  with  a 
request  for  her  ladyship's  presence. 

"Come  with  me,"  said  she  to  Master  Raymond; 
"but  do  not  say  anything — much  less  smile  or 
laugh — until  I  call  upon  you  for  your  testimony." 

As  they  entered,  the  courteous  Governor  handed 
his  lady  to  a  seat  on  the  sofa;  and  Master  Mather 
made  a  dignified  obeisance. 

"I  have  brought  along  a  young  friend  of  mine, 
who  was  with  me,  and  would  also  like  to  hear  of 
all  these  wonderful  things,"  said  her  ladyship;  and 
Master  Raymond  bowed  very  deferentially  to  both 
the  high  dignities,  they  returning  the  bow,  while  Sir 
William  politely  requested  him  to  be  seated. 

355 


356  Dulcibel. 

"  I  was  just  on  the  point  of  showing  to  Sir  Wil 
liam  the  most  remarkable  curiosities  of  even  this 
very  remarkable  era — and  he  suggested  that  you 
also  doubtless  would  like  to  see  them,"  said  the 
minister;  at  this  time  a  man  of  about  thirty  years 
of  age.  He  was  a  rather  comely  and  intelligent 
looking  man,  and  Master  Raymond  wondered  that 
one  who  appeared  so  intellectual,  should  be  the 
victim  of  such  absurd  hallucinations. 

Lady  Mary  bent  her  head  approvingly,  in  an 
swer  to  the  minister.  "I  should  like  very  much  to 
see  them,"  she  replied  courteously;  and  Master 
Mather  continued:— 

"In  the  work  I  have  been  preparing  on  the 
"Wonders  of  the  Invisible  World,"  several  of  the 
sheets  of  which  I  have  already  shown  to  Sir  Wil 
liam,  I  have  collected  many  curious  and  wonderful 
instances.  Thus  in  the  case  of  the  eldest  daughter 
of  Master  John  Goodwin,  whom  I  took  to  my  own 
house,  in  order  that  I  might  more  thoroughly 
investigate  the  spiritual  and  physical  phenomena 
of  witchcraft,  I  found  that  while  the  devils  that 
tormented  her  were  familiar  with  Latin,  Greek  and 
Hebrew,  they  seemed  to  have  very  little  knowledge 
of  the  various  Indian  dialects." 

"That  certainly  is  \ery  curious,"   replied   Sir 


Raymond  Confounds  Mather.     357 

William,"  inasmuch  as  those  heathen  are  undeni 
ably  the  children  of  the  devil,  as  all  our  wisest  and 
most  godly  ministers  agree." 

"Yes,"  continued  the  minister,  "it  is  true;  and 
that  makes  me  conjecture,  that  these  devils  were 
in  fact  only  playing  a  part;  to  deceive  me  into 
thinking  that  the  red  heathen  around  us  were  not 
really  the  children  of  Satan,  as  they  undoubtedly 
are." 

"I  think  that  the  most  reasonable  view," 
responded  the  Governor. 

"As  to  the  reality  of  this  new  assault  by  Satan 
upon  this  little  seed  of  God's  people  in  the  new 
world,"  continued  Master  Mather,  fervently,  "I 
have  now  no  doubt  whatever.  Proof  has  been 
multiplied  upon  proof,  and  the  man,  or  woman, 
who  does  not  by  this  time  believe,  is  simply  one  of 
those  deplorable  doubters,  like  Thomas,  who 
never  can  be  convinced.  For  my  part,  I  consider 
Witchcraft  the  most  nefandous  high  treason 
against  the  Majesty  on  High!  And  a  principal 
design  of  my  book  is  to  manifest  its  hideous 
enormity,  and  to  promote  a  pious  thankfulness  to 
God  that  justice  so  far  is  being  inflexibly  executed 
among  us." 

Lady  Mary's  face  flushed  a  little,  for  she  saw  the 


358  Dulcibel. 

drift  of  the  minister's  censure.  It  was  well  known 
in  all  the  inner  circles,  that  she  had  neither  faith 
in  the  reality  of  witchcraft,  nor  the  least  sympathy 
with  the  numerous  prosecutions,  and  the  inflexible 
justice  which  the  minister  lauded.  The  Governor 
knew  his  wife's  temper,  and  hastened  to  say: — 

"Still  we  must  admit,  Master  Mather,  that  some 
persons,  with  tender  conscience,  require  more 
convincing  proofs  than  do  others.  And  therefore 
I  was  anxious  that  Lady  Mary  should  see  these 
feathers  you  spoke  of,  cut  from  the  wings  of 
one  of  those  yellow  birds  which  appear  to  be 
used  so  frequently  as  familiars  by  the  Salem 
witches." 

"Oh,  yes,  I  had  forgotten  them  for  the  mo 
ment."  And  putting  his  hand  into  his  breast 
pocket,  Master  Mather  produced  a  small  box, 
which  he  opened  carefully  and  called  their  atten 
tion  to  a  couple  of  small  yellow  feathers  placed  on  a 
piece  of  black  cloth  within.  "I  would  not  take  a 
hundred  pounds  for  these  spectral  feathers,"  said 
the  minister  exultingly.  "They  are  the  only 
positive  proof  of  the  kind,  now  existing  in  the 
whole  world.  With  these  little  feathers  I  shall 
dash  out  the  brains  of  a  host  of  unbelievers— 
especially  of  that  silly  Calef,  or  Caitiff,  who  is 


Raymond  Confounds  Mather.     359 

all  the  time  going  around  among  the  merchants, 
wagging  his  vile  tongue  against  me." 

Sir  William  and  Lady  Mary  had  been  looking 
upon  the  feathers  very  curiously.  At  last  Lady 
Mary  gave  a  low,  incredulous  laugh.  Her  hus 
band  looked  at  her  inquiringly. 

"They  are  nothing  but  common  chicken  feathers 
which  could  be  picked  up  in  any  barn  yard,"  she 
said  scornfully. 

"Your  ladyship  is  very  much  mistaken,  you 
never  saw  chicken  feathers  like  those,"  said  the 
minister,  his  face  now  also  flushing. 

"Who  was  the  yellow  bird  afflicting,  when  these 
feathers  were  cut?"  the  lady  asked. 

"A  young  man  was  on  his  examination  for 
witchcraft,  Squire  Hathorne  writes  me;  but  he  was 
found  to  be  himself  a  victim,  and  was  released — 
which  proves,  by  the  way,  how  careful  the  worship 
ful  magistrates  are  in  Salem,  lest  any  who  are 
innocent  should  be  implicated  with  the  guilty. 
The  young  man  began  to  cry  out  that  an  'evil 
hand*  was  on  him,  and  that  a  yellow  bird  was  try 
ing  to  peck  out  his  eyes.  Whereupon  one  of  the 
bystanders  pulled  out  his  rapier,  and  smote  at  the 
spectral  bird — when  these  feathers  were  cut  off; 
becoming  visible  of  course  as  soon  as  they  were 


36o  Dulcibel. 

detached  from  the  bird  and  its  evil  influence.  It 
is  one  of  the  most  wonderful  things  that  I  ever 
heard  of,"  and  Master  Mather  gazed  on  the 
feathers  with  admiring  and  almost  reverential 
eyes. 

"Sir  William,"  said  his  lady,  "you  have,  I  hope, 
a  little  common  sense  left,  if  these  Massachusetts 
ministers  and  magistrates  have  all  gone  crazy  on 
this  subject.  You  know  what  a  chicken  is,  if  they 
do  not.  Are  not  those  simply  chicken  feathers  ?" 

"Why,  my  dear,"  replied  the  Governor,  wrig 
gling  in  his  great  arm-chair,  "I  grant  that  they 
certainly  do  look  like  chicken  feathers;  but  then 
you  know,  the  yellow  bird  the  witches  use,  may 
have  feathers  like  unto  a  chicken's." 

"Nonsense!"  replied  Lady  Mary.  "None  are 
so  blind  as  those  that  will  not  see.  I  suppose  that 
if  I  were  to  bring  that  afflicted  young  man  here, 
and  he  were  to  acknowledge  that  the  whole  thing 
was  a  trick,  got  up  by  him  to  save  his  life,  you 
would  not  believe  him?" 

"Indeed  I  should,"  replied  Sir  William. 

"Yes,  Lady  Mary,  find  the  young  man,  and 
question  him  yourself,"  said  Master  Mather. 
"None  are  so  certain  as  those  that  have  never 
informed  themselves.  I  have  made  inquiry  into 


Raymond  Confounds  Mather.    361 

these  marvelous  things;  I  even  took  that  afflicted 
girl,  as  I  have  told  you,  into  my  own  house,  in  order 
to  inform  myself  of  the  truth.  When  you  have 
investigated  the  matter  to  one-tenth  the  extent  that 
I  have,  you  will  be  prepared  to  give  a  reasonable 
opinion  as  to  its  truth  or  falsehood.  Until  then, 
some  modesty  of  statement  would  become  a  lady 
who  sets  up  her  crude  opinion  against  all  the  min 
isters  and  the  magistracy  of  the  land." 

This  was  a  tone  which  the  leading  ministers  of 
that  day  among  the  Puritans,  did  not  hesitate  to 
take,  even  where  high  dignitaries  were  concerned 
and  Master  Mather  had  the  highest  ideas  of  the 
privilege  of  his  order. 

"Then  I  suppose,  Master  Mather,  that  if  the 
afflicted  young  man  himself  should  testify  that 
these  feathers  were  simply  chicken  feathers,  that 
he  had  artfully  thrown  up  into  the  air,  you  would 
not  acknowledge  that  he  had  deceived  you?" 
"If  such  an  impossible  thing  could  happen, 
though  I  know  that  it  could  not,  of  course  I  should 
be  compelled  to  admit  that  Squire  Hathorne  and 
a  hundred  others,  who  all  saw  this  marvelous 
thing  plainly,  in  open  day,  were  deceived  by  the 
trick  of  an  unprincipled  mountebank  and  juggler. " 
"I  shall  hold  both  you  and  Sir  William  to  your 


362  Dulcibel. 

word,"  replied  Lady  Mary  emphatically.  Then, 
turning  to  the  young  Englishman,  who  had  re 
mained  entirely  silent  so  far,  paying  evident 
attention  to  all  that  was  spoken,  but  giving  no 
sign  of  approval  or  disapproval,  she  said,  "Master 
Raymond,  what  do  you  think  of  this  matter  ?" 

Master  Raymond  rose  from  his  chair  and 
stepped  a  pace  or  two  forward.  Then  he  said, 
"If  I  answer  your  ladyship's  question  freely,  it 
might  be  to  my  own  hurt.  Having  had  my  head 
once  in  the  lion's  mouth,  I  am  not  anxious  to  put 
it  there  again. 

The  lady  looked  significantly  at  Sir  William. 

"Speak  out  truly,  and  fear  nothing,  young 
man,"  said  the  Governor.  "Nothing  that  you 
say  here  shall  ever  work  you  injury  while  I  am 
Governor  of  the  Province. " 

"What  do  you  wish  to  know,  Lady  Mary  ?" 

"You,  I  believe,  were  the  afflicted  young  man, 
to  whom  Master  Mather  has  referred  ?" 

Master  Raymond  bowed. 

"Was  there  any  reality  in  those  pretended 
afflictions  ?" 

"Only  a  bad  cold  to  begin  with,"  said  the 
young  man  smiling. 

"How  about  the  yellow  bird  ?" 


Raymond  Confounds  Mather.    363 

"It  was   all  a   sham.     I   dealt  with  credulous 
and  dangerous  fools  according  to  their  folly." 

"How  about  those  feathers?" 

"They  are  feathers  I  got  from  the  wings  of  one 
of  the  Salem  jailor's  chickens." 

Sir  William  laughed, 

"  How  about  the  smell  of  sulphur  which  Squire 
Hathorne  and  Master  Mather  have  detected  in  the 
feathers  ?" 

"I  think  it  very  probable;  as  I  observed  Good- 
wife  Foster  that  morning  giving  her  chickens 
powdered  brimstone  for  the  pip." 

"Here  the  Governor  laughed  loudly  and  long 
until  Master  Mather  said  indignantly,  "I  am 
sorry,  Sir  William,  that  you  can  treat  so  lightly 
this  infamous  confession  of  falsehood  and  villany. 
This  impudent  young  man  deserves  to  be  set  for 
three  days  in  the  pillory,  and  then  whipped  at  the 
cart's  tail  out  of  town." 

"Of  course  it  is  a  very  shameful  piece  of  business 
replied  the  Governor,  regaining  his  gravity.  "  But 
you  know  that  as  the  confession  has  been  made 
only  on  the  promise  of  perfect  immunity,  I  can 
not,  as  a  man  of  my  word,  suffer  the  least  harm 
to  come  to  the  young  person  for  making  it. " 

"Oh,  of  course  not,"  said  the  minister,  taking 


364  Dulcibel. 

up  his  hat,  and  preparing  to  leave  the  room; 
"but  it  is  scandalous!  scandalous!  All  respect 
for  the  Magistracy  and  authority  seems  to  be 
fading  out  of  the  popular  mind.  I  consider  you 
a  dangerous  man,  a  very  dangerous  young  man!" 
This  last  of  course  to  Master  Raymond. 

"And  I  consider  you  tenfold  more  dangerous 
with  your  clerical  influence,  and  credulity,  and 
superstition!"  replied  the  young  Englishman 
hotly.  Being  of  good  family,  he  was  not  inclined 
to  take  such  insults  mildly.  "How  dare  you,  with 
your  hands  all  red  with  the  blood  of  twenty 
innocent  men  and  women,  talk  to  me  about  being 
dangerous!" 

"Peace!"  said  Sir  William  with  dignity.  "My 
audience  chamber  is  no  place  to  quarrel  in. 

"I  beg  your  Excellency's  pardon!"  said  Master 
Raymond,  humbly. 

"One  moment,  before  you  go,"  said  Lady  Mary, 
stepping  in  front  of  the  minister.  "  I  suppose  you 
will  be  as  good  as  your  word,  Master  Mather  and 
admit  that  with  all  your  wisdom  you  were  entirely 
mistaken  ?" 

"I  acknowledge  that  Squire  Hathorne  and  my 
self  have  been  grossly  deceived  by  an  unprincipled 
adventurer — but  that  proves  nothing.  Because 


Raymond  Confounds  Mather.   365 

Jannes  and  Jambres  imitated  with  their  sorceries 
the  miracles  of  Moses,  did  it  prove  that  Moses 
was  an  impostor  ?  There  was  one  Judas  among 
the  twelve  apostles,  but  does  that  invalidate  the 
credibility  of  the  eleven  others,  who  were  not 
liars  and  cheats  ?  It  is  the  great  and  overwhelm 
ing  burden  of  the  testimony  which  decides  in  this 
as  in  all  other  disputed  matters — not  mere  isolated 
cases.  Good  afternoon,  madam.  I  will  see  you 
soon  again,  Sir  William,  when  we  can  have  a  quiet 
talk  to  ourselves. " 

"Stay!"  cried  Lady  Mary,  as  the  offended 
minister  was  stalking  out  of  the  room.  "You 
have  forgotten  something,"  and  she  pointed  to  the 
little  box,  containing  the  chicken's  feathers  which 
had  been  left  lying  upon  the  table. 

The  minister  gave  a  gesture  expressive  of 
mingled  contempt  and  indignation — but  did  not 
come  back  for  it.  It  was  evident  that  he  valued 
the  feathers  now  at  considerably  less  than  one 
hundred  pounds. 

11  Young  man,"  said  the  Governor,  smiling, 
"you  are  a  very  bright  and  keen-witted  person, 
but  I  would  advise  you  not  to  linger  in  this  province 
any  longer  than  is  absolutely  necessary.  Master 
Mather  is  much  stronger  here  than  I  am." 


CHAPTER  L. 
Bringing  Affairs  to  a  Crisis. 

The  next  morning  a  note  came  to  Master 
Raymond  from  Joseph  Putnam,  brought  by  one 
of  the  farm-hands. 

It  was  important.  Abigail  Williams  had  called 
upon  Goodwife  Buckley,  and  told  her  in  confidence 
that  it  was  in  contemplation,  as  she  had  learned 
from  Ann  Putnam,  to  bring  Dulcibel  Burton  back 
to  Salem  jail  again.  The  escape  of  Captain 
Alden  and  the  Englishes  from  the  Bridewell  in 
Boston,  had  caused  a  doubt  in  Salem  as  to  its 
security.  Besides,  Lady  Phips  had  taken  ground 
so  openly  against  the  witch  prosecutions,  that  there 
was  no  knowing  to  how  great  an  extent  she  might 
not  go  to  aid  any  prisoner  in  whom  she  took  an 
interest. 

Abigail  Williams  further  said  that  Mistress  Ann 
Putnam  had  become  very  bitter  both  against  her 
brother-in-law  Joseph  and  his  friend  Master 
Raymond.  She  was  busy  combatting  the  idea 
that  the  latter  really  ever  had  been  afflicted — and 
was  endeavoring  to  rouse  Squire  Hathorne's 
indignation  against  him  as  being  a  deceiver. 

366 


Bringing  Affairs  to  a  Crisis.     367 

As  the  young  man  read  this  last,  he  wondered 
what  effect  would  be  produced  upon  the  credulous 
magistrate,  when  he  received  word  from  Master 
Mather  as  to  what  had  occurred  in  the  Governor's 
presence.  Would  he  be  so  angry  as  to  take  very 
arbitrary  measures;  or  so  ashamed  as  to  let  it  all 
pass,  rather  than  expose  the  extent  to  which  he  had 
been  duped  ?  He  feared  the  former — knowing  in 
which  way  Mistress  Ann  Putnam's  great  influence 
with  him  would  be  directed. 

Master  Joseph  advised  immediate  action — if 
peaceable  means  would  not  serve,  then  the  use  of 
violent  ones.  If  Captain  Tolley  could  not  find 
among  his  sailors  those  who  would  undertake  the 
job,  he,  Master  Joseph,  would  come  down  any 
night  with  three  stout  men,  overpower  the  keepers, 
and  carry  off  Mistress  Dulcibel,  with  the  requisite 
amount  of  violence  to  keep  her  promise  unbroken. 

Master  Raymond  wrote  a  note  in  return.  He 
was  much  obliged  for  the  information.  It  was 
evident  that  the  time  had  come  for  action;  and 
that  it  was  dangerous  to  delay  much  longer.  Of 
course  peaceable  means  were  to  be  preferred; 
and  it  was  possible  he  might  be  able  either  to 
bribe  the  keeper,  or  to  get  a  release  from  the 
Governor;  but,  if  force  had  to  be  resorted  to, 


368  Dulcibel. 

Captain  Tolley  could  command  his  whole  crew 
for  such  a  service,  as  they  were  the  kind  of  men 
who  would  like  nothing  better.  In  fact,  they 
would  not  hesitate  to  open  fire  upon  the  town, 
if  he  ordered  it — and  even  run  up  the  flag  of  a 
French  privateer. 

After  dispatching  this  business,  Master  Ray 
mond  went  out  on  the  porch  of  the  Red  Lion,  and 
began  an  examination  of  the  clouds  and  the 
weather-cocks.  It  had  been  raining  slightly  for 
a  day  or  two,  with  the  wind  from  the  south 
east;  but  though  the  vanes  still  pointed  to  the 
south-east,  and  the  light  lower  clouds  were  moving 
from  the  same  point  of  the  compass,  he  caught 
glimpses  through  the  scud  of  higher  clouds  that 
were  moving  in  an  entirely  opposite  direction. 

"How  do  you  make  it  out  ?"  said  a  well-known 
voice.  He  had  heard  some  one  approaching, 
but  had  supposed  it  to  be  a  stranger. 

"I  am  not  much  of  a  sailor;  but  I  should  say 
it  would  clear  up,  with  a  brisk  wind  from  the 
west  or  the  north-west  by  afternoon." 

"Aye!"  said  Captain  Tolley,  for  it  was  he; 
"and  a  stiff  nor'wester  by  night.  If  it  isn't  I'll 
give  my  head  for  a  foot-ball.  Were  I  bound  out 
of  the  harbor,  I  would  not  whistle  for  a  better 


Bringing  Affairs  to  a  Crisis.     369 

wind  than  we  shall  have  before  six  hours  are 
over." 

Master  Raymond  glanced  around;  no  one  was 
near  them.  "Are  you  certain  of  that,  Captain? 
Would  it  do  to  bet  upon  ? 

"You  may  bet  all  you  are  worth,  and  your 
sweetheart  into  the  bargain,"  replied  the  Captain 
laughing,  with  a  significant  look  out  of  his  eyes. 

"When  are  you  going,  Captain  ?" 

"Oh,  to-night,  perhaps — if  I  can  get  all  my 
live  stock  on  board. 

"To-night  then  let  it  be,"  said  the  young  man 
in  a  whisper;  "by  fair  means,  or  by  foul.  I  may 
succeed  by  fair  means;  have  a  boat  waiting  at  the 
wharf  for  me.  It  will  be  light  enough  to  get  out 
of  the  harbor  ?" 

"There  is  a  gibbous  moon — plenty.  Once 
past  the  castle,  and  we  are  safe.  We  can  easily 
break  open  the  keeper's  house — and  quiet  him 
him  with  a  pistol  at  his  head." 

"You  must  not  harm  him — he  has  been  a  good 
friend  to  her." 

"Of  course — only  scare  him  a  little.  Besides, 
he  is  not  a  good  friend,  if  he  makes  a  noise. " 

"Well,  I  will  see  you  by  ten  o'clock — with  her 
or  without  her — Yes,  I  will  bet  you  a  gold  piece, 
24 


370  Dulcibel. 

Captain,  that  the  wind  gets  around  to  the  west 
by  four  o'clock."  This  last  was  in  Master  Ray 
mond's  usual  tones — the  previous  conversation 
having  been  in  whispers. 

"You  will  be  safe  enough  in  that,  Master 
Raymond,"  said  the  landlord  of  the  Red  Lion, 
whose  steps  the  young  Englishman  had  heard 
approaching." 

"  Do  you  think  so  ?  I  do  not  want  to  take  the 
young  man's  money,  he  is  only  a  landsman  you 
know,  Mate;  but  I  will  bet  you  a  piece  of  eight 
that  the  wind  will  not  get  around  till  a  half  hour 
after  that  time.  And  we  will  take  it  all  out  in 
drinks  at  your  bar,  at  our  leisure." 

"Done!"  said  the  landlord.  "And  now  let 
us  go  in,  and  take  a  drink  all  around  in  advance. " 


CHAPTER  LI. 
Lady  Mary's  Coup  D'Etat. 

Master  Raymond's  next  proceeding  was  to  call 
on  Lady  Phips.  Sending  in  his  name,  with  a 
request  to  see  her  ladyship  on  very  important 
business,  he  was  ushered  as  usual  into  her  boudoir. 

"I  must  be  doing  something,  Lady  Mary," 
he  said,  after  a  few  words  relative  to  the  evident 
change  of  weather;  "I  have  news  from  Salem 
that  the  Magistrates  are  about  to  send  Mistress 
Dulcibel  back  to  Salem  jail." 

"That  is  sad,"  she  answered. 

"And,  besides,  there  is  no  knowing  what  new 
proceedings  they  may  be  concocting  against  me. 
I  must  take  Sir  William's  advice,  and  get  out  of 
this  hornet's  nest  as  soon  as  possible." 

"Well  what  can  I  do  for  you  ?" 

"Get  an  order  from  Sir  William  releasing 
Dulcibel  from  prison." 

"Oh,  that  I  could!  God  knows  how  gladly  I 
would  do  it." 

"You  can  at  least  try,"  said  Master  Raymond 
desperately. 

The  lady  hesitated  a  moment.  "Yes,  as  you 
371 


372  Dulcibel. 

say,  I  can  at  least  try.  But  you  know  how  impos 
sible  it  is  to  carry  on  the  government  of  this 
Province  without  the  support  of  the  ministers 
and  the  magistrates.  Sir  William  is  naturally 
anxious  to  succeed;  for,  if  he  fails  here,  it  will 
block  his  road  to  further  preferment." 

"And  he  will  allow  the  shedding  of  innocent 
blood  to  go  on,  in  order  to  promote  his  own  selfish 
ambition?"  said  the  young  man  indignantly. 

"You  are  unjust  to  the  Governor.  He  will 
do  all  he  can  to  moderate  this  fanaticism;  and,  if 
it  comes  to  the  worst,  he  will  order  a  general 
jail-delivery,  and  meet  the  consequences.  But  he 
hopes  much  from  time,  and  from  such  develop 
ments  as  those  of  your  chicken  feathers" — and 
the  lady  smiled  at  the  thought  of  the  minister's 
discomfiture. 

"Some  things  can  wait,  but  I  cannot  wait," 
insisted  Master  Raymond.  "You  must  acknowl 
edge  that." 

"Sir  William  starts  this  afternoon  on  a  visit 
to  Plymouth,  to  remain  for  a  day  or  so;  but  I 
will  have  a  talk  with  him,  and  see  what  I  can  do, " 
replied  the  lady.  "Call  here  again  at  six  o'clock 
this  evening." 

"Such    beauty    and    spirit    as    yours    must    be 


Lady  Mary's  Coup  D'Etat.      373 

irresistible  in  the  cause  of  virtue  and  innocence," 
said  the  young  man,  rising  to  depart. 

"No  flattery,  Master  Raymond;  I  will  do  all  I 
can  without  that;"  but  Lady  Mary  being  still  a 
very  comely  woman,  as  she  certainly  was  a  very 
spirited  one,  was  not  much  displeased  at  the 
compliment,  coming  from  such  a  handsome  young 
man  as  Master  Raymond.  Eulogy  that  the 
hearer  hopes  embodies  but  the  simple  truth,  is 
always  pleasant  alike  to  men  and  women.  It  is 
falsehood,  and  not  truth,  that  constitutes  the 
essence  of  Flattery. 

The  day  dragged  on  very  drearily  and  slowly 
to  Master  Raymond.  The  waiting  for  the  hour 
of  action  is  so  irksome,  that  even  the  approach  of 
danger  is  a  relief.  But  patience  will  at  last  weary 
out  the  slowest  hours;  and  punctually  at  six 
o'clock,  the  young  man  stood  again  at  the  door  of 
the  Governor's  mansion. 

Lady  Mary  evidently  was  expecting  him — for 
he  was  shown  in  at  once.  She  looked  up  wearily 
as  he  entered.  "I  can  do  nothing  to-day,"  she 
said. 

"What  ground  did  the  Governor  take  ?" 

"That  sound  policy  forbade  him  to  move  in  the 
matter  at  present.  The  persecuting  party  were 


374  Dulcibel. 

veiy  indignant  at  the  escape  of  Captain  Alden 
and  the  Englishes;  and  now  for  him  to  grant  a 
pardon  to  another  of  the  accused,  would  be  to 
irritate  them  to  madness." 

Master  Raymond  acknowledged  to  himself  the 
soundness  of  the  Governor's  policy;  but  he  only 
said:  "Then  it  seems  that  Dulcibel  must  go 
back  to  Salem  prison;  and  I  run  a  good  chance  of 
going  to  prison  also,  as  a  self-confessed  deceiver 
and  impostor." 

"If  she  were  released,  could  you  both  get  away 
from  Boston — at  once  ?" 

Master  Raymond's  voice  sank  to  a  whisper. 
"I  have  all  my  plans  arranged.  By  the  third  hour 
after  midnight,  we  shall  be  where  we  can  snap  our 
fingers  at  the  magistrates  of  Boston." 

"I  have  been  thinking  of  a  plan.  It  may  work 
— or  may  not.  But  it  is  worth  trying." 

The  young  man's  face  lightened. 

"You  know  that  England  is  ruled  by  William 
and  Mary,  why  should  not  the  Province  of  Mas 
sachusetts  also  be  ?" 

"I  do  not  understand  you." 

"Upon  leaving  Sir  William,  I  was  somewhat 
indignant  that  he  would  not  grant  my  request. 
And  to  pacify  me,  he  said  he  was  sorry  that  I  had 


Lady  Mary's  Coup  D'Etat.      375 

not  the  same  share  in  the  government  here,  that 
Queen  Mary  had  at  home — and  then  I  could  do 
more  as  I  pleased." 

Still  Master  Raymond's  face  showed  that  he 
was  puzzled  to  catch  her  meaning. 

She  laughed  and  rose  from  her  chair;  the  old, 
resolute  expression  upon  her  spirited  face,  and, 
opening  the  door  into  the  next  room,  which  was 
the  Governor's  private  office,  she  said: 

"Corne  here  a  moment,  Master  Josslyn." 

The  private  Secretary  entered. 

"Prepare  me,"  she  said  to  the  Secretary,  "the 
proper  paper,  to  be  signed  by  the  Governor, 
ordering  Keeper  Arnold  to  release  at  once  Mistress 
Dulcibel  Burton  from  confinement  in  the  Boston 
Bridewell." 

"But  the  Governor,  you  know,  is  absent,  Lady 
Mary,"  said  the  Secretary,  "and  his  signature  will 
be  necessary." 

"Oh,  I  will  see  to  that,"  replied  the  lady  a  little 
haughtily. 

Master  Raymond  sat  quietly — waiting  for  what 
was  to  come  next.  He  could  not  conceive  how 
Lady  Mary  intended  to  manage  it.  As  for  the 
lady,  she  tapped  the  table  with  her  shapely  fingers 
impatiently. 


376  Dulcibel. 

In  a  few  minutes  Master  Josslyn  reappeared 
with  the  paper.  "All  it  now  wants  is  the  signature 
of  the  Governor,"  said  he. 

The  lady  took  up  a  pen  from  the  table  by  which 
she  was  sitting,  and  filled  it  with  ink;  then  with  a 
firm  hand  she  signed  the  paper,  "William  Phips, 
Governor,  by  Lady  Mary  Phips." 

"  But,  your  ladyship,  the  keeper  will  not  acknowl 
edge  the  validity  of  that  signature,  or  obey  it," 
said  Master  Josslyn  in  some  alarm. 

"He  will  not?  We  shall  see!"  responded  her 
ladyship  rising.  "Order  my  carriage,  Master 
Josslyn." 

In  fifteen  minutes,  Lady  Mary,  accompanied 
by  Master  Raymond,  was  at  Keeper  Arnold's 
house. 

"I  bring  you  good  news,  Master  Arnold,"  said 
Lady  Mary,  "I  know  you  will  rejoice,  such  a 
tender-hearted  man  as  you  are  at  the  release  of 
Mistress  Dulcibel  Burton.  Here  is  the  official 
document."  She  flourished  it  at  him,  but  still 
kept  it  in  her  hand. 

Dulcibel  was  soon  informed  of  the  good  news; 
and  came  flying  out  to  meet  her  benefactor  and 
her  lover. 

"Put  on  a  shawl  and  your  veil  at  once:  and 


Lady  Mary's  Coup  D'Etat.      377 

make  a  bundle  of  your  belongings,"  said  Lady 
Mary,  kissing  her.  "Master  Raymond  is  in  a 
great  hurry  to  carry  you  off — at  which  I  confess 
that  I  do  not  wonder."  Dulcibel  tripped  off — 
the  sooner  she  was  out  of  that  close  place  the 
better. 

"Well,  what  is  it,  Master  Arnold?"  said  Lady 
Mary  to  the  keeper,  who  acted  as  if  he  wished 
to  say  something. 

"It  is  only  a  form,  my  lady;  but  you  have  not 
shown  me  the  Governor's  warrant  yet  ?" 

"Why,  yes  I  have,"  said  Lady  Mary,  fluttering 
it  at  him  as  before. 

But  Keeper  Arnold  was  fully  aware  of  the 
responsibility  of  his  position;  and  putting  out  his 
hand,  he  steadied  the  fluttering  paper  sufficiently 
to  glance  over  its  contents.  When  he  came  to  the 
signature,  his  face  paled.  "Pardon  me,  my  lady; 
but  this  is  not  the  Governor's  writing." 

"Of  course  it  is  not — why,  you  silly  loon,  how 
could  it  be  when  he  has  gone  to  Plymouth  ? 
But  you  will  perceive  that  it  is  in  Master  Josslyn's 
writing — and  the  Governor  ought  to  have  signed 
it  before  he  started." 

"This  is  hardly  in  regular  form,  my  lady." 

"  It  is   not  ?     Do  you  not  see  the  Governor's 


378  Dulcibel. 

name;  and  there  below  it  is  my  name,  as  proof 
of  the  Governor's.  Do  you  mean  to  impeach 
my  attestation  of  Sir  William's  signature  ?  There 
is  my  name,  Lady  Mary  Phips:  and  I  will  take 
the  responsibility  of  this  paper  being  a  legal  one. 
If  anybody  finds  fault  with  you,  send  him  to  me; 
and  I  will  say  you  did  it,  in  the  Governor's  absence 
from  town,  at  my  peremptory  order."  The 
lady's  face  glowed,  and  her  eyes  Hashed,  with  her 
excitement  and  determination. 

"It  would  be  as  much  as  my  position  is  worth 
to  disobey  it  and  me '."rejoined  Lady  Mary.  "I 
will  have  you  out  of  this  place  in  three  days'  time, 
if  you  cast  disrespect  upon  my  written  name." 

"There  can  be  no  great  haste  in  this  matter. 
Bring  the  release  tomorrow,  and  I  will  consult 
authority  in  the  meanwhile,"  said  the  keeper 
pleadingly. 

"Authority?  The  Governor's  name  is  author 
ity!  I  am  authority!  Who  dare  you  set  up 
beside  us  ?  You  forget  your  proper  respect  and 
duty,  Master  Arnold." 

The  keeper  was  overborne  at  last.  "You  will 
uphold  me,  if  I  do  this  thing,  Lady  Mary  ?"  said 
he  imploringly. 

"You  know  me,   Master  Arnold — and   that   I 


Lady  Mary's  Coup  D'Etat.       379 

never  desert  my  friends!  I  shall  accept  the  full 
responsibility  of  this  deed  before  Sir  William 
and  the  magistrates.  And  they  cannot  order  any 
punishment  which  he  cannot  pardon." 

By  this  time  it  had  grown  quite  dark.  "Shall 
I  take  you  anywhere  in  my  carriage  ?"  said  Lady 
Mary,  as  Dulcibel  reappeared  with  a  bundle. 

"It  is  not  necessary,"  replied  Master  Raymond 
joyfully,  "  I  will  not  compromise  you  any  further. 
God  forever  bless  your  ladyship!  There  is  not 
another  woman  in  New  England  with  the  spirit 
and  courage  to  do  what  you  have  done  this  day — 
and  the  reader  of  our  history  a  hundred  years  to 
come,  as  he  reads  this  page,  shall  cry  fervently, 
God  bless  the  fearless  and  generous  soul  of  Lady 
Mary!" 

"Let  me  know  when  you  are  safe,"  she 
whispered  to  the  young  man,  as  he  stood  by  her 
carriage.  "Master  and  Mistress  English  are 
now  the  guests  of  Governor  Fletcher  of  New  York 
— changing  a  Boston  prison  for  a  Governor's 
mansion.  You  will  be  perfectly  secure  in  that 
Province — or  in  Pennsylvania,  or  Maryland  or 
Virginia."  And  the  carriage  drove  off. 

It  was  in  that  early  hour  of  the  evening  ?when  the 
streets  in  town  and  city,  are  more  deserted  than 


38o  Dulcibel. 

tjiey  are  for  some  hours  afterwards;  everyone 
being  indoors,  and  not  come  out  for  visiting  or 
amusement.  And  so  the  young  man  and  his 
companion  walked  towards  the  north-eastern 
part  of  the  town,  meeting  only  one  or  two  persons, 
who  took  no  special  notice  of  them. 

"  You  do  not  ask  where  we  are  going,  Dulcibel  ? " 
at  last  said  Master  R.aymond. 

She  could  not  see  the  sweet  smile  on  his  face; 
but  she  could  feel  it  in  his  voice. 

"Anywhere,  with  you!"  the  maiden  replied  in  a 
low  tone. 

"We  are  going  to  be  married." 

He  felt  the  pressure  of  her  hand  upon  his  arm 
in  response. 

''That  is,  if  we  can  find  a  minister  to  perform 
the  ceremony." 

"That  will  be  difficult,  I  should  think." 

"Yes,  difficult,  but  not  impossible.  After  get 
ting  you  out  of  prison,  as  Lady  Mary  did,  I  should 
not  like  to  call  anything  impossible. " 

"Lady  Mary  is  an  angel!" 

"Yes,  one  of  the  kind  with  wings,"  replied 
her  companion  laughing.  "She  has  kindly  loaned 
us  her  wings  though — and  we  are  flying  away  on 
them." 


Lady  Mary's  Coup  D'Etat.      381 

Before  long  they  were  at  one  of  the  wharves; 
then  on  a  small  boat — then  on  the  deck  of  the 
"Storm  King." 

"I  am  better  than  my  word,  Captain  Tolley. " 

"Aye!  indeed  you  are.  And  this  is  the  birdie! 
Fair  Mistress,  the  "Storm  King"  and  his  brood 
are  ready  to  die  to  shield  you  from  harm." 

Dulcibel  looked  wonder  out  of  her  clear  blue 
eyes.  What  did  it  all  mean  ?  She  smiled  at  the 
Captain's  devoted  speech.  "I  do  not  want  any 
one  to  die  for  me,  Captain.  I  would  rather  have 
you  sing  me  a  good  sea-song,  such  as  my  father, 
who  was  also  a  sea-captain,  used  to  delight  me 
with  at  home." 

"Oh,  we  can  do  that  too,"  answered  the 
Captain  gaily.  "I  hope  we  shall  have  a  jolly 
time  of  it,  before  we  reach  our  destination.  Now, 
come  down  into  the  cabin  and  see  the  preparations 
I  have  made  for  you;  a  sailor's  daughter  must 
have  the  best  of  sailor's  cheer." 

"One  word,  Captain,"  said  Master  Raymond, 
as  the  Captain  came  up  on  deck  again,  leaving 
Dulcibel  to  the  privacy  of  her  state-room.  "It 
does  not  seem  fitting  that  a  young  unmarried 
woman  should  be  alone  on  a  vessel  like  this,  with 
no  matron  to  bear  her  company." 


382  Dulcibel. 

"Sir!"  said  the  Captain,  "I  would  have  you 
know  that  the  maiden  is  as  safe  from  aught  that 
could  offend  her  modesty  on  the  decks  of  the 
"Storm  King,"  as  if  she  were  in  her  father's 
house." 

"Of  course  she  is.  I  know  that  well— and 
mean  not  the  least  offense.  And  she,  innocent 
as  she  is,  has  no  other  thought.  But  this  is  a 
slanderous  world,  Captain,  and  we  men  who  know 
the  world,  must  think  for  her." 

"Oh,  I  admit  that,"  said  Captain  Tolley,  some 
what  mollified,  "we  cannot  expect  of  mere  land's 
people,  who  put  an  innocent  girl  like  that  into 
prison  for  no  offense,  the  gentle  behavior  towards 
women  that  comes  naturally  from  a  seaman;  but 
what  do  you  propose?" 

"To  send  for  one  of  the  Boston  ministers,  and 
marry  her  before  we  leave  port." 

"Why,  of  course,"  replied  the  Captain.  "It 
is  the  very  thing.  Whom  shall  we  send  for  ? 
The  North  Church  is  nearest — how  would  Master 
Cotton  Mather  do  ?" 

The  young  man  stood  thoughtfully  silent  for  a 
moment  or  two.  The  ministers  of  South  Church 
and  of  King's  chapel  were  more  heterodox  in  all 
this  witchcraft  business;  but  for  that  very  reason 


Lady  Mary's  Coup  D'Etat.     383 


he  did  not  wish  to  compromise  them  in  any  way. 
Besides,  he  owed  a  grudge  to  Master  Mather,  for 
his  general  course  in  sustaining  the  persecution, 
and  his  recent  language  in  particular  towards 
himself.  So  his  lips  gradually  settled  into  a  stern 
determination,  and  he  replied  "Master  Mather 
is  the  very  man." 

"  It  may  require  a  little  ingenuity  to  get  him 
aboard  at  this  time  of  the  evening,"  said  the 
Captain.  "But  I  reckon  my  first  mate,  Simmons, 
can  do  it,  if  any  one  can." 

"Here,  Simmons,"  to  the  first  mate,  who  was 
standing  near,  "you  look  like  a  pillar  of  the  church, 
go  ashore  and  bring  off  Master  Cotton  Mather 
with  you.  A  wealthy  young  Englishman  is  dying- 
and  he  cannot  pass  away  from  Boston  in  peace 
without  his  ministerial  services." 

"Dying?"  ejaculated  Master  Raymond. 

"Yes,  dying!  dying  to  get  married — and  you 
cannot  pass  out  of  Boston  harbor  in  peace,  without 
his  ministerial  services." 

"Would  it  not  do  as  well  to  ask  him  to  come  and 
marry  us  ?" 

"I  doubt  it,"  replied  the  Captain.  'Master 
Mather  is  honest  in  his  faith,  even  if  he  is  bigoted 
and  superstitious — and  death  cannot  be  put  off 


384  Dulcibel. 

like  marriage  till  tomorrow.  But  take  your  own 
course,  Simmons — only  bring  him." 

"Shall  I  use  force,  sir,  if  he  will  not  come 
peaceably?"  asked  the  mate  coolly. 

"Not  if  it  will  make  a  disturbance,"  said  his 
commander.  "We  do  not  want  to  run  the  gaunt 
let  of  the  castle's  guns  as  we  go  out  of  the  harbor. 
The  wind  is  hardly  lively  enough  for  that." 

"I  will  go  down  and  tell  Dulcibel,"  said  Master 
Raymond.  "It  is  rather  sudden,  but  she  is  a 
maiden  of  great  good  sense,  and  \vill  see  clearly 
the  necessity  of  the  case.  And  as  she  is  an  orphan, 
she  has  no  father  or  mother  whose  consent  she 
might  consider  necessary.  But  Mate" — going 
to  the  side  of  the  vessel,  which  the  boat  was  just 
leaving,  "not  a  word  as  to  my  name  or  that  of  the 
maiden.  That  would  spoil  all." 

"Aye,  aye,  sir!"  Trust  me  to  bring  him!" 
and  the  boat  started  for  the  shore,  under  the 
vigorous  strokes  of  two  oarsmen. 


CHAPTER  LII. 
An  Unwilling  Parson. 

Not  quite  an  hour  had  elapsed,  when  the  sound 
of  oars  was  again  heard;  and  Captain  Tolley, 
peering  through  the  dark,  saw  that  another  form 
was  seated  opposite  the  mate  in  the  stern-sheets 
of  the  boat. 

"I  thought  that  Simmons  would  bring  him," 
said  Captain  Tolley  to  the  second  mate;  such  a 
smooth  tongue  as  he  has.  It  is  a  pity  he  wasn't 
a  minister  himself — his  genius  is  half  wasted 
here." 

Glad  to  see  you  on  board  the  Storm  King, 
Master  Mather,"  was  the  greeting  of  the  Captain, 
as  the  minister  was  helped  up  to  the  deck  by  the 
mates. 

"The  Storm  King!  Why  I  was  told  that  it  was 
an  English  frigate,  just  come  into  port,"  said  the 
minister  in  a  surprised  voice. 

"The  messenger  must  have  made  a  mistake," 
replied  the  Captain  coolly.  "You  know  that 
landsmen  always  do  get  things  mixed. 

"Well,  as  I  am  here,  no  matter.  Show  me  the 
dying  man." 

25  385 


386  Dulcibel. 

"Walk  down  into  the  cabin,"  said  the  Captain 
politely. 

Entering  the  cabin  which  was  well  lighted, 
Master  Raymond  stepped  forward,  "I  am  happy 
to  see  you,  Master  Mather.  You  remember  me, 
do  you  not  ?" 

"Master  Raymond,  I  believe,"  returned  the 
minister  coldly.  "Where  is  the  dying  man  who 
requires  my  spiritual  ministrations  ?" 

"Dying!"  laughed  the  Captain.  "How  strange 
ly  that  fellow  got  things  mixed.  I  said  dying  to 
get  married — did  I  not,  Master  Raymond  ?" 

"Of  course  you  did — that  is,  after  you  had 
explained  yourself. " 

Master  Mather's  face  looked  blank,  he  did  not 
know  what  to  make  of  it. 

"In  truth,  Master  Mather/'  said  the  young 
Englishman,  "I  was  under  the  necessity  of  getting 
married  this  evening;  and,  thinking  over  the 
worshipful  ministers  of  Boston  town,  I  singled 
you  out  as  the  one  I  should  prefer  to  officiate  on 
the  happy  occasion." 

"I  decline  to  have  anything  to  do  with  it," 
said  Master  Mather  indignantly,  turning  on  his 
heel,  and  going  to  the  door  of  the  cabin.  But  here 
a  muscular  sailor,  with  a  boarding  pike,  promptly 


An  Unwilling  Parson.          387 

forbade  his  passage  by  putting  the  pike  across 
the  door  way. 

"What  do  you  mean  by  barring  my  way  in  this 
manner?"  said  the  minister  in  great  wrath  to  the 
captain.  "Have  you  no  reverence  for  the  law?" 

"Not  a  particle  for  Boston  law,"  replied  Cap 
tain  Tolley.  The  only  law  recognized  on  board 
the  Storm  King  is  the  command  of  its  Captain. 
You  have  been  brought  here  to  marry  these  two 
young  friends  of  mine;  and  you  will  not  leave 
the  vessel  before  you  do  it — if  I  have  to  take  you 
with  us  all  the  way  to  China." 

Master  Mather  pondered  the  matter  for  a 
moment.  "This  is  too  informal,  there  are  certain 
preliminaries  that  are  necessary  in  such  cases." 

"Advisable — but  I  am  told  not  absolutely 
necessary,"  replied  Master  Raymond. 

"Wait  then  for  an  hour  or  two;  and  we  shall 
be  on  the  high  seas— and  out  of  any  jurisdiction," 
added  Captain  Tolley. 

"Who  is  this  maiden  ?  Who  gives  her  away  ?" 
asked  the  minister. 

"This  maiden  is  Mistress  Dulcibel  Burton," 
said  Master  Raymond,  taking  her  by  the  hand. 

"She  is  an  orphan;  but  I  give  her  away," 
added  the  Captain. 


Dulcibel. 


"Dulcibel  Burton!  the  serpent  witch!"  ex 
claimed  Master  Mather.  "What  is  that  convict 
doing  here?  Has  she  broken  jail?" 

"Master  Mather,"  said  the  Captain  in  an 
excited  tone,  "if  you  utter  another  word  of  insult 
against  this  innocent  and  beautiful  maiden,  I 
will  have  you  flung  overboard  to  the  sharks! 
So  take  care  of  what  you  say!"  and  the  indignant 
seaman  shook  his  finger  in  the  minister's  face 
warningly. 

"Master  Mather,"  added  Raymond,  more 
coolly,  "Mistress  Burton  has  not  broken  jail. 
She  was  duly  released  from  custody  by  Keeper 
Arnold  on  the  presentation  of  an  official  paper  by 
Lady  Mary  Phips.  Therefore  your  conscience 
need  not  be  uneasy  on  that  score." 

"Why  are  you  here  then — why  making  this 
haste  ?  It  is  evident  that  there  is  something 
wrong  about  it." 

"  Boston  has  not  treated  either  of  us  so  well  that 
we  are  very  desirous  of  remaining,"  replied  Mas 
ter  Raymond.  "And  as  we  are  going  together,  it 
is  only  decorous  that  we  should  get  married.  If 
you  however  refuse  to  marry  us,  we  shall  be  com 
pelled  to  take  you  with  us — for  the  mere  presence 
of  such  a  respected  minister  will  be  sufficient  to 


An  Unwilling  Parson.  389 

shield  the  maiden's  name  from  all  reckless  calum 
niators." 

The  second  mate  came  to  the  door  of  the  cabin. 
"Captain,  there  is  a  fine  breeze  blowing,  it  is  a 
pity  not  to  use  it." 

"Make  all  ready,  sir,"  replied  the  Captain. 
Then  turning  to  the  minister,  "There  is  no  par 
ticular  hurry,  Master  Mather.  You  can  take  the 
night  to  think  over  it.  To-morrow  morning 
probably,  if  you  come  to  your  senses,  we  may  be 
able  to  send  you  ashore  somewhere,  between  here 
and  the  capes  of  the  Delaware." 

"This  is  outrageous!"  said  Master  Mather. 
"  I  will  hold  both  of  you  accountable  for  it. " 

"It  is  a  bad  time  to  threaten,  when  your  head 
is  in  the  lion's  mouth,  Master  Mather,"  returned 
Captain  Tolley  fiercely.  "No  one  knows  but 
my  own  men  that  you  ever  came  on  board  the 
'Storm  King.'  How  do  you  know  that  I  am  not 
Captain  Kidd  himself?" 

The  minister's  face  grew  pale.  It  was  no 
disparagement  to  his  manhood.  Even  Master 
Raymond's  face  grew  very  serious — for  did  even 
he  know  that  this  Captain  Tolley  might  not  be  the 
renowned  freebooter,  of  whose  many  acts  of  daring 
and  violence  the  wide  seas  rang  ? 


39o  Dulcibel. 

"  I  would  counsel  you  for  your  own  good  to  do  at 
once  what  you  will  have  to  do  ultimately,"  said 
Master  Raymond  gravely.  "  I  owe  you  no  thanks 
for  anything;  but" — and  the  young  man  laughed 
as  he  turned  to  Dulcibel— "I  never  could  trap 
even  a  fox  without  pitying  the  animal. " 

Dulcibel  went  up  to  the  minister,  and  put  her 
hand  upon  his  arm: — "Do  I  look  so  much  like  a 
witch?"  she  said  in  a  playful  tone. 

"We  are  told  that  Satan  can  enrobe  himself  like 
an  angel  of  light,"  replied  Master  Mather  severely. 
"I  judge  you  by  what  I  have  heard  of  your  cruel 
deeds." 

"As  you  judged  the  cruel  yellow  bird  that  turned 
out  to  be  only  a  harmless  little  chicken,"  said 
Master  Raymond  sarcastically.  "  Enough  of  this 
folly.  Will  you  marry  us  now — or  not  ?  If  you 
will,  you  shall  be  put  ashore  unharmed.  If  you 
will  not,  you  shall  go  along  with  us.  Make  up 
your  mind  at  once,  for  we  shall  soon  be  out  of 
Boston  harbor." 

Master  Mather  had  a  strong  will — and  an 
equally  strong  won't — but  the  Philistines  were,  for 
this  time,  too  much  for  him.  That  reference  to 
Captain  Kidd  had  frightened  him  badly.  "Stand 
up — and  I  will  marry  you.  Unscrupulous  as  you 


An  Unwilling  Parson.  391 

both  are,  it  is  better  that  you  should  be  married  by 
legal  rites,  than  allowed  to  go  your  own  way  to 
destruction." 

And  then — the  important  ceremony  being  duly 
gone  through — he  pronounced  Master  Ellis 
Raymond  and  Mistress  Dulcibel  Burton  man  and 
wife.  The  Captain  being  allowed  by  Master 
Raymond  to  take  the  first  kiss,  as  acting  in  the 
place  of  the  bride's  father. 

"No,  not  a  penny!"  said  the  minister,  closing 
his  hand  against  the  golden  pieces  that  the  groom 
held  out  to  him.  "All  I  ask  is,  that  you  comply 
with  your  promise — and  put  me  on  shore  again  as 
soon  as  possible." 

"Better  take  a  drink  of  wine  first/'  said  the 
Captain,  filling  up  a  glass  and  handing  it  to  him. 

"I  will  neither  break  bread  nor  drink  wine 
on  this" — he  was  going  to  say  accursed  ship; 
but  the  fierce  eyes  of  the  possible  freebooter  were 
upon  him,  and  he  said,  "on  this  unhappy  vessel." 

Captain  Tolley  laughed  heartily.  "Oh  well, 
good  wine  never  goes  begging.  The  anchor  is  not 
up  yet,  and  we  will  put  you  off  just  where  you  came 
on.  Come  along!" 

Without  a  word  of  leave-taking  to  the  two  whom 
he  had  joined  together,  Master  Mather  followed 


392  Dulcibel. 

the  Captain.  In  fact  though,  Master  Raymond 
and  Dulcibel  scarcely  noted  his  going,  for  they 
were  now  seated  on  a  small  sofa,  the  arm  of  the 
young  husband  around  the  shapely  waist  of  his 
newly-made  wife,  and  the  minister  dismissed 
from  their  minds  as  completely  as  the  wine-glass 
out  of  which  they  had  just  drank.  He  had  an 
swered  their  purpose  and  in  the  deep  bliss  of 
their  new  relation,  they  thought  no  more  about 
him. 

As  Master  Mather  turned  to  descend  to  the  boat 
again — not  wasting  any  formal  words  of  leave- 
taking  upon  the  Captain  either — the  latter  grasped 
him  by  the  arm. 

"Wait  one  moment,"  said  Captain  Tolley. 
"You  will  speak  of  what  has  occurred  here  this 
evening  Master  Mather,  or  not,  at  your  pleasure. 
But  be  careful  of  what  you  say — for  there  is  no 
power  on  this  coast,  strong  enough  to  protect  you 
against  my  vengeance!"  And  with  a  scowl  upon 
his  face,  that  would  not  have  done  injustice  to  the 
dreaded  Captain  Kidd  himself,  he  added  in  a 
hoarse,  fierce  tone  the  one  impressive  word 
"Beware!" 

The  minister  made  no  reply.  It  was  a  day  of 
fierce  men  and  wild  deeds — especially  on  the  high 


An  Unwilling  Parson.  393 

seas.     Prudence   in   some   positions   is  far  better 
than  valor. 

"Now,  my  hearties!  let  us  get  out  of  this  harbor 
as  soon  as  possible!"  cried  the  Captain.  "I 
might  have  held  him  till  we  were  opposite  the 
castle,  and  put  him  ashore  there;  but  it  is  safer 
as  it  is.  We  have  a  regular  clearance,  and  he 
cannot  do  anything  legally  under  an  hour  or  two 
at  least — while  in  half-an-hour  we  shall  be  outside. 
With  a  stiff  breeze  like  this,  once  on  the  open  seas, 
I  fear  neither  man  nor  devil!" 


CHAPTER  LIII. 
The  Wedding   Trip  and  Where  Then. 

Whether  Master  Mather  did  make  any  serious 
effort  to  prevent  the  "Storm  King' '  from  leaving 
the  harbor,  I  am  unable  to  say;  but  as  I  find  no 
reference  to  this  affair  either  in  his  biography  or  his 
numerous  works,  I  am  inclined  to  think  that  like 
a  wise  man,  he  held  his  peace  as  to  what  had 
occurred,  and  resolved  never  to  go  on  board  an 
other  vessel  after  nightfall. 

Certainly  no  cannon  ball  cut  the  waves  as  the 
"Storm  King"  sailed  swiftly  past  the  castle,  and 
no  signal  was  displayed  signifying  that  she  must 
come  at  once  to  anchor. 

And  the  little  trip  to  New  York  was  as  pleasant 
in  all  respects  as  a  young  couple  on  a  bridal  tour 
could  desire— even  if  the  mere  relief  from  the 
anxieties  and  threatened  dangers  of  the  previous 
long  months  had  not  been  of  itself  a  cause  of  hap 
piness. 

Arrived  at  New  York,  Master  Philip  English 
and  his  wife  received  them  with  open  arms.  Mas 
ter  Raymond  had  brought  letters  from  England  to 
Governor  Fletcher  and  others,  and  soon  made 

394 


Wedding  Trip  and  Where  Then.  395 

warm  friends  among  the  very  best  people.  There 
was  no  sympathy  whatever  in  New  York  at  that 
time  with  the  witchcraft  persecutions  in  Massa 
chusetts;  and  all  fugitives  were  received,  as  in  the 
case  of  the  Englishes,  with  great  sympathy  and 
kindness. 

Much  to  my  regret,  at  this  point,  the  old  manu 
script  book  to  which  I  have  been  so  largely 
indebted,  suddenly  closes  its  record  of  the  fortunes 
of  Master  and  Mistress  Raymond.  Whether  they 
went  to  England,  and  took  up  their  residence  there 
among  Master  Raymond's  friends,  or  found  a 
home  in  this  new  world,  I  am  therefore  not  able 
with  absolute  certainty  to  say.  From  what  I 
have  been  able,  however,  to  gather  from  other 
quarters,  I  have  come  to  the  conclusion  that  they 
were  so  much  pleased  with  their  reception  in  New 
York,  that  Master  Raymond  purchased  an  estate 
on  the  east  side  of  the  Hudson  River,  where  he  and 
the  charming  Dulcibel  lived  and  loved  to  a  good 
old  age,  leaving  three  sons  and  three  daughters. 
If  this  couple  really  were  our  hero  and  heroine, 
then  the  Raymonds  became  connected,  through 
the  three  daughters,  with  the  Smiths,  the  Joneses 
and  the  Browns.  In  one  way,  perhaps,  the  ques 
tion  might  be  set  at  rest,  were  it  not  too  delicate 


396  Dulcibel. 

a  one  for  successful  handling.  There  is  little 
doubt  that  among  the  descendants  of  Mistress 
Dulcibel,  on  the  female  side,  the  birth-mark  of  the 
serpent,  more  or  less  distinct,  will  be  found  occa 
sionally  occurring,  even  now,  at  the  lapse  of  almost 
two  centuries.  Therefore,  if  among  the  secret 
traditions  of  any  of  the  families  I  have  mentioned, 
there  be  one  relative  to  this  curious  birthmark, 
doubtless  that  would  be  sufficient  proof  that  in 
their  veins  runs  the  rich  blood  of  the  charming 
Dulcibel  Raymond. 


CHAPTER  LIV. 
Some  Concluding  Remarks. 

Perhaps  before  I  conclude  I  should  state  that  the 
keeper  of  the  Boston  Bridewell,  Master  Arnold, 
was  summarily  dismissed  for  accepting  the  validity 
of  the  Governor's  signature.  But  he  did  not  take 
it  very  grievously  to  heart  for  Master  Raymond, 
Captain  Alden  and  others  whom  he  had  obliged 
saw  him  largely  recompensed.  Captain  Alden, 
by  the  way,  had  fled  for  concealment  to  his  rela 
tives  in  Duxbury.  Being  asked  when  he  appeared 
there,  "Where  he  came  from  ?"  the  old  captain 
said  "he  was  fleeing  from  the  devil — who  was  still 
after  him."  However  his  relatives  managed  to 
keep  him  safely,  until  all  danger  was  passed,  both 
from  the  devil  and  from  his  imps. 

As  for  Lady  Mary,  the  indignation  of  "the 
faithful"  was  hot  against  her — and  finally  against 
Sir  William,  who  could  not  be  made  to  see  in  it 
anything  but  a  very  good  joke.  "You  know  that 
Lady  Mary  will  have  her  own  way,"  he  said  to 
Master  Mather. 

"Wives  should  be  kept  in  due  gospel  subjec 
tion!"  returned  the  minister. 

397 


398  Dulcibel. 

"Oh,  yes,  rejoined  the  Governor  smiling;  but 
I  wish  you  had  a  wife  like  Lady  Mary,  and  would 
try  it  on  her!  I  think  we  should  hear  something 
breaking." 

But  when  Mistress  Ann  Putnam  and  others 
began  "to  cry  out"  against  Lady  Mary  as  a  witch, 
the  Governor  waxed  angry  in  his  turn. 

"It  is  time  to  put  a  stop  to  all  this,"  he  said 
indignantly.  "They  will  denounce  me  as  a  witch 
next."  So  he  issued  a  general  pardon  and  jail 
delivery — alike  to  the  ten  persons  w^ho  were  then 
under  sentence  of  death,  to  those  who  had  escaped 
from  prison,  and  to  the  one  hundred  and  fifty 
lying  i'n  different  jails,  and  the  two  hundred  others 
who  had  been  denounced  for  prosecution. 

It  was  a  fair  blow,  delivered  at  the  very  front 
and  forehead  of  the  cruel  persecution  and  it  did 
its  good  work,  though  it  lost  Sir  William  his  posi 
tion—sending  him  back  to  England  to  answer  the 
charges  of  his  enemies,  and  to  die  there  soon  after 
wards  in  his  forty-fifth  year. 

When  Chief-Justice  Stoughton,  engaged  in 
fresh  trials  against  the  reputed  witches,  read  the 
Governor's  proclamation  of  Pardon,  he  was  so 
indignant  that  he  left  his  seat  on  the  bench,  and 
could  not  be  prevailed  upon  to  return  to  it. 


Some  Concluding  Remarks.    399 

Neither  could  he,  to  the  day  of  his  death,  be 
brought  to  see  that  he  had  done  anything  else  than 
what  was  right  in  the  whole  matter. 

Not  so  the  jury — which,  several  years  after, 
confessed  its  great  mistake,  and  publicly  asked 
forgiveness.  Nor  Judge  Sewall,  who  rose  openly 
in  church,  and  confessed  his  fault,  and  afterward 
kept  one  of  the  days  of  execution,  with  every 
returning  year,  sacred  to  repentance  and  prayer- 
seeing  no  person  from  sunrise  to  nightfall,  mourn 
ing  in  the  privacy  of  his  own  room  the  sin  he  had 
committed. 

Mistress  Ann  Putnam  and  her  husband  both 
died  within  the  seven  years,  as  Dulcibel  in  her 
moment  of  spiritual  exaltation  had  predicted. 
Her  daughter  Ann  lived  to  make  a  public  confes 
sion,  asking  pardon  of  those  whom  she  had  (she 
said  unintentionally)  injured,  and  died  at  the  age 
of  thirty-five — her  grave  being  one  that  nobody 
wanted  their  loved  ones  to  lie  next  to. 

As  for  the  majority  of  the  "afflicted  circle,"  they 
fell  as  the  years  went  on  into  various  evil  ways — 
one  authority  describing  them  as  "abandoned  to 
open  and  shameless  vice." 

Master  Philip  English,  after  the  issue  of  the 
Governor's  pardon,  returned  to  Salem.  Seven- 


4OO 


Dulcibel. 


teen  years  afterwards,  he  was  still  trying  to  re 
cover  his  property  from  the  officials  of  the  Prov 
ince.  Of  £1500  seized,  he  never  recovered  more 
than  £300;  while  his  wife  died  in  two  years,  at  the 
age  of  forty-two,  in  consequence  of  the  treat 
ment  to  which  she  had  been  subjected. 

Master  Joseph  Putnam  and  his  fair  Elizabeth 
lived  on  in  peace  at  the  old  place;  taking  into  his 
service  the  Quaker  Antipas  upon  his  release  from 
prison.  The  latter  was  always  quiet  and  peaceful, 
save  when  any  allusion  was  made  to  the  witches. 
But  he  had  easy  service  and  good  treatment;  and 
was  a  great  favorite  with  the  children,  especially 
with  that  image  of  his  father,  who  afterwards 
became  distinguished  as  the  Major  General  Put 
nam  of  Revolutionary  fame. 

As  for  the  presents  that  had  been  promised  to  the 
"afflicted  circle,"  they  came  to  them  duly,  and 
from  London  too.  And  they  were  rich  gifts  also; 
but  such  a  collection  of  odd  and  grotesque  articles, 
certainly  are  not  often  got  together.  Master  Ray 
mond  had  commissioned  an  eccentric  friend  of  his 
in  London  to  purchase  them,  and  send  them  on; 
acquainting  him  with  the  peculiar  circumstances. 
There  were  yellow  birds,  and  red  dragons,  and 
other  fantastic  animals,  birds  and  beasts.  But 


Some  Concluding  Remarks.     401 

they  came  from  London  and  the  "circle"  found 
them  just  suited  to  their  peculiar  tastes;  and  they 
always  maintained,  even  in  defiance  of  Mistress 
Ann,  that  Master  Raymond  was  a  lovely  gentleman 
and  an  "afflicted"  person  himself.  It  will  thus 
be  seen  that  these  Salem  maidens  were  in  their 
day  truly  esthetic — having  that  sympathetic  fond 
ness  for  unlovely  and  repulsive  things,  which  is  the 
unerring  indication  of  a  daughter  of  Lilith. 


And  now,  in  conclusion,  some  one  may  ask, 
"Did  the  Province  of  Massachusetts  ever  make 
any  suitable  atonement  for  the  great  wrongs  her 
Courts  of  Injustice  had  committed  ?"  I  answer 
Never!  Massachusetts  has  never  made  any, 
adequate  atonement — no,  not  to  this  day! 

The  General  Assembly,  eighteen  years  after 
wards,  did  indeed  pass  an  act  reversing  the  con 
victions  and  attainders  in  all  but  six  of  the  cases; 
and  ordering  the  distribution  of  the  paltry  sum  of 
£578  among  the  heirs  of  twenty-four  persons,  as  a 
kind  of  compensation  to  the  families  of  those  who 
had  suffered;  but  this  was  all — nothing,  or  next 

to  nothing! 
26 


402  Dulcibel. 

Perhaps  the  day  will  some  time  come,  when  the 
cry  of  innocent  blood  from  the  rocky  platform  of 
Witch  Hill,  shall  swell  into  sufficient  volume  to  be 
heard  across  the  chasm  of  twro  centuries.  Then, 
on  some  high  pedestal,  where  the  world  can  see  it, 
Massachusetts  shall  proclaim  in  enduring  marble 
her  penitence  and  ask  a  late  forgiveness  of  the 
twenty  innocent  men  and  women  whom  she  so 
terribly  wronged.  And  as  all  around,  and  even 
the  mariner  far  out  at  sea,  shall  behold  the  gleam 
ing  shaft,  standing  where  stood  the  rude  gallows  of 
two  centuries  ago,  they  shall  say  with  softening 
eyes  and  glowing  cheeks:  "It  is  never  too  late  to 
right  a  great  wrong;  and  Massachusetts  now 
makes  all  the  expiation  that  is  possible  to  those 
whom  her  deluded  forefathers  dishonored  and 
persecuted  and  slew!" 


'By  the  Author  of  Dulcibel 


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